Lead poisoning used to be a problem that factory workers used to grapple with. The middle class Americans had to hardly ever worry about this issue. However the increasing popularity of preparation of stained glass patterns and stained glass windows etc as a hobby has brought the problem literally into our drawing room. That is why it has become really critical that all of us have some basic understanding of the risk of lead poisoning and how to avoid it.
Lead is so harmful to human health that the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has banned the use of it many household products since 1970s. Unfortunately many people continue to use lead extensively while preparing the stained glass and soldering iron. The risk of lead poisoning reaches the top while working with antique stained glass items.Lead poisoning is particularly harmful for pregnant women and small babies. That is why it is really important to take all steps to avoid contact of these people with any object containing lead.
The best way to fight lead poisoning is to insist on working with lead free glass and soldering iron. Unfortunately the entire process of soldering with lead free iron tends to be significantly different from the traditional way. This is because the lead free solder melts at a comparatively higher temperature. This may cause some initial inconvenience while you move to lead free solders. But the inconvenience is totally worth it considering the reduction is risks to the health of your entire family.
It is next to impossible to completely avoid presence of lead while working with stained glass. That is why it is important to select a well ventilated, secluded part of the home as your work area. Take care to keep it completely clean at all points of time. Using an air ventilator helps to prevent any potential contamination through air.