Health hazard from soldering

For how long has it been known that colophony could present a health hazard when used in soldering?

Occupational Asthma, Specialist, 2/20/2006, 2/20/2006,

The first reference is in 77AD by Pliny (Natrualis Historica; Translated by Rackman H, Loeb Classical Library, London 1952). He says that colophony has a rather opressive scent, and consequently the perfumerers do not make use of it. The original documentation for the threhold limit value (TLV) is in a thesis by Christy HR in 1973 (The development of a threshold limit value of rosin smoke in air; Clarkson College of Technology; M Eng Science). He report a US factory making telephone circuitry where 35 workers were restricted from working in the soldering area because of upper respiratory irritations which did not respond to medical treatment. The first cases of occupational asthma documented by specific inhalation tests were reported in 1976 from Russia (Oziganova Sovetskaya Med 4:139-141 and separately in the UK (Fawcett Clin Allergy 6:577-585) Please see the references and pages below for more information. Fawcett IW, Newman Taylor AJ, Pepys J, Asthma due to inhaled chemical agents- fumes from Multicore soldering flux and colophony resin, Clin Allergy, 1976;6:577-585, Ozhiganova VN, Dueva LA, Popova NG, Clinical picture and diagnosis of occupational bronchial asthma due to the action of formaldehyde containg polymers, Gig Tr Prof Zabol, 1976;11:17-20, Non-Colophony Solder Colophony (Solder)

2/20/2006