Oh there is still leaded solder, just restrictions on where you can use it. So since overall use has diminished, cost has gone up. So if you find a deal on some and feel that you need it, it doesn't hurt to have a little stash. I know some guys that went out and bought 30-40 lbs of the stuff. I guess they plan on a lot of soldering. I don't plan on using all that much so I'm not going to hoard it to that extent. I did plumb my house with copper, and I did opt for 50/50.....I just like the way it flows so much better. The threat of brain damage is primarily to children with developing brains, so that's not a problem in my place.
Not to try to shoot holes in any study or anything, but I had a cousin (second actually), an older guy who has since passed at a ripe old age, and not from anything related to lead, who worked on radiators, first for others and then his own shop.....I think about 60 years worth of exposure, all with no special precautions. When all this lead scare and restrictions came along, he went through a battery of tests...several in fact over several years, as did his son (3rd cousin?) who had always worked in their own shop. I can't even begin to guess at how much solder they went thru over all those years. Literally tons. All the tests showed normal to actually below standard blood-lead levels. I was actually more concerned with the acid they used during the process. But no health problems from anything related to the work ever showed up. Maybe just some people are more susceptible to it, and for them the regulations do protect them and need to be there. But I know for a fact that it is not a universal risk.
