James
I am sorry if you have been mislead about the proposed Design for the
Environment Life-Cycle Analysis of Lead Free Solders project. To date no
studies of this type have been conducted. Testing to date has focused on
performance aspects and has not examined whether the environmental impact of
various lead-free solders.
Your further statements make no sense in regards to a scientific study - the
conclusions can not be determined prior to a study or the study has no
validity and is clearly biased if its only goal is to prove pre-determined
conclusions. That is certainly not the goal of our proposed study. I have
reprinted the proposal below as you clearly have not read the project which
you are demeaning.
Fern Abrams
Director of Environmental Policy
IPC - The Association Connecting Electronic Industries
1333 H Street NW, 11th Floor West
Washington, DC 20005
202-962-0460
fax 202-962-0464
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Preliminary Scoping Document
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Design for the Environment (DfE) Project for Tin-Lead and Lead-Free Solders
January 2001
Issue:
The U.S. electronics industry is currently facing significant legislative
and market pressure to phase-out the use of tin-lead solders and switch to
lead-free alternatives. In addition to recent European and Japanese
government directives, the U.S. EPA is leading a U.S. regulatory campaign
to reduce the publics exposure to lead, due to its identified effects on
public health. Most recently, the EPA has classified lead as a “persistent
bio-accumulative toxic” which will be the focus of multi-media exposure
reduction strategies. In response to these and other pressures, several
U.S. based companies and industries have adopted aggressive timelines that
call for the phaseout of lead within the next one to six years.
Lead is a critical component in virtually all electronics because it is
uniquely capable of meeting high technology performance standards in a cost
efficient manner. Lead is primarily used in most electronics as tin-lead
solder alloy (the solder joins computer chips and components to printed
circuit boards). While lead does not constitute a large portion of
electronics by weight, 2,3 it is widely used in the electronics industry.
The effects and impact of a switch from lead solder to lead-free solder will
have a broad impact on the American public. The U.S. electronics industry is
a $550 billion per year industry, and its impact is destined to grow over
the coming years. Today, electronic components are found not only in
cellular phones, televisions, VCRs and the like, but in coffee makers, baby
dolls, picture frames, and every other imaginable consumer good with any
type of “smart” function.
A widespread shift from leaded solder to lead-free solders has the potential
to broadly impact the environmental health and safety of the American
public, yet it is being undertaken without a thorough investigation. The
electronics industry is concerned that there has never been a scientific
study to assess the environmental risks posed by the various lead-free
solders under consideration and study as substitutes for lead solder.
The industry would like to partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to evaluate the environmental factors associated with the use
of lead-free solders and leaded solders. We propose a research project,
based on life cycle (LCA) analysis under EPA’s Design for the Environment
program, to determine the life cycle environmental impact of lead-free
solders and tin-lead solder, the current industry standard.
EPA’s Design for the Environment Program:
EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Program is a non-regulatory program
that works directly with companies to integrate health and environmental
considerations into business decisions. Specifically, the DfE Program uses
cleaner technology substitute assessments (CTSA) and life cycle tools to
evaluate the performance, costs, and environmental and human health impacts
of competing technologies in the hope that this data will encourage
businesses to choose technologies that improve their overall environmental
performance.
Three criteria have traditionally governed the selection of DfE projects:
(1) there is a potential environmental risk involved with existing
technology; (2) the proposed project is consistent with the mission of EPA
and the DfE program, and (3) there is community interest in the project.
The leaded and lead-free solder project would meet these three criteria in
the following ways:
(1) Environmental Risk Associated with Existing Technology
The current solder of choice for the U.S. electronics industry is tin-lead
alloy. Lead is a heavy metal that has been linked to developmental
abnormalities in fetuses and children that ingest or absorb lead. The
Department of Health and Human Services has determined that lead acetate and
lead phosphate may reasonably be anticipated to be carcinogens based on
studies in animals.
Although lead solders, when used in electronics, do not pose significant
exposure issues since the solder is contained within product casings, there
is concern that when disposed, the lead may be released into the air or
groundwater where exposure could occur. Worker safety issues have also been
raised with the use of tin-lead solder due to possible workplace exposure
risks. Environmental concerns have been raised concerning lead-free solders
that include higher leachability rates, lower recyclability, higher melting
temperatures (and, therefore, higher energy use), and mining impacts.
These concerns highlight the need to evaluate the environmental impacts
posed by leaded and lead-free solders so that individuals can make informed
choices when selecting a future solder.
(2) Proposal is Consistent with Agency Mission
No industry’s products are more ubiquitous in modern life than those of the
electronics industry. Managing the environmental impacts posed by this
burgeoning industry are crucial to the long-term environmental
sustainability. The solder that holds the industry’s products together is
the key toward ensuring the long-term environmental sustainability of the
U.S. economy since the U.S. electronic industry plays such a key role in the
U.S. economy. EPA could also utilize and test the life cycle assessment
model that the Agency developed in its Computer Display Project. The
findings of this project could also benefit other industries that use
tin-lead solder, such as the stained glass industry.
(3) Community Interest
EPA has received a number of letters and expressions of support from various
stakeholders indicating support for this project. The letters of interest
are from an environmental organization, an EPA region, and a number of
industry interest groups. The Department of Commerce through its National
Institute of Standards and Trade (NIST) program and the US Trade
Representatives Office have also indicated great interest in this project
due to the potentially large trade and environmental impacts associated with
a wide-spread shift from leaded to lead-free solders by the U.S. electronics
industry.
Potential Scope:
This environmental impacts posed by leaded and lead-free solders is crucial
to the continued environmental improvement of the entire electronics
industry. An EPA DfE project based on life-cycle assessment (focusing on
raw material extraction, energy use during manufacturing, and end-of-life
disposition) would be critical in helping the industry reduce its long-term
environmental impacts.
Although studies have shown that there is no “drop-in” replacement for
tin-lead solder in all applications (i.e., tin-lead solder cannot be phased
out of the entire electronic industry at this time due to the unique
functionality and technical features that tin-lead solder provides) or
component functions (i.e. solder, solder paste, surface finish), the
following lead-free solders have shown promise and should be included in any
study (with tin-lead solder as the baseline):
• Sn/Ag/Cu • Sn3.5AG
• Sn0.7Cu • Sn/Cu
• Sn2-5%Bi • Sn/Sb, Sn5Sb
Conclusion
The U.S. electronics industry looks forward to working with the US EPA to
develop a DfE project on leaded and lead-free solders that would provide the
industry with data on the environmental impacts associated with these
technologies. For more information, contact Fern Abrams of IPC
(202-638-6219) or Holly Evans of EIA (703-907-7576).
-----Original Message-----
From: Leadfree [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of James Canner
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2001 8:19 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] Lead-Free HTFR Solder Final Project Report Order Form
I am aware of a new study to be made thru IPC and EIA in conjuction with
EPA to investigate the environmental impact of lead free solders. The EPA
has selected UTenn to draft preliminary study plan. They are asking
industry to kick in significant matching funds.
The NCMS study seems to say they have done all of that. Should we spend
more industry money +government money to fund new project?
Again, why do I pay for the conclusion if it is already known and proven
and not open for discussion. , We should get on with it. If I want the
proof, I will pay for it, but the conclusion must state the outcome before
I put a dime down,
James P. Canner
Product Development Engineer
Murata Electronics North America
1900 W. College Ave
State College PA 16801-2799
(814)-237-1431 x 2032
[log in to unmask]
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