Lead glass in the Swarovski NL? (1 Viewer)

[Robert Moore]

This warning ⚠️ is on the Midway website for the NL but not the EL?

WARNING: This product can expose you to Lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

 

[MiddleRiver]

Interesting…

Psychiatry Online

neuro.psychiatryonline.org

 

[KC Foggin]

I'm glad I use the ELs

 

[John A Roberts]

On the Swarovski Optik site is states that:

'According to the REACH regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, art. 33, we as a manufacturer are obliged to declare all substances of the candidate list, which our products contain in a concentration of more than 0.1 mass percent . . . Please refer to the following list to see the substances and their application.'

See at: Constantly improve what is good

And the Swarovski's declaration dated September 2019 shows that lead may be found in:
• some selected aluminium alloys at greater than 0.4% by mass, and
• some selected copper alloys at greater than 4% by mass.

(EDIT: As Binastro correctly points out below, the above should read)
• some selected aluminium alloys at less than 0.4% by mass, and;
• some selected copper alloys at less than 4% by mass

So presumedly something in the NL exceeds a limit set by California. But as to any practical concern . . . ?


John

 

[Robert Moore]

Thanks for the info John

 

[Tringa45]

Interesting…

Psychiatry Online

neuro.psychiatryonline.org

Well, you never know. The word, "delicious" has been applied by some forum members to their binoculars.

John

 

[Binastro]

The lead is locked in the glass, so should present no hazard to the user.

If one licks the glass one needs to digest the multicoating first, which may take a while.

The Hassleblad XPan was killed because of lead in the solder in very small amounts.

I still have some amalgam in tooth fillings.

And a mercury thermometer.

It is strange that California has these tight rules, while being a big culprit in other ways.

Regards,
B.

P.S.
If the copper alloy is in the body or other mechanical parts, I suppose it could present a mild risk.

Does it say where the copper alloy is present?
In the glass mix or mechanical parts?

P.P.S.
Hi John,

It says less than not greater than.

Regards,
B.

 

[rodneyAB]

perhaps what is missing in the lens coatings makes up for a little content in the glass, or the chassis, or somewhere in the NL.
being from Kaliphoneyah, i will not worry about any such warning, and will continue to ignore any concerns currently, past, or future.

 

[Dale Forbes]

I was intrigued by the situation so I dug in to it a little. As expected, we use lead-free glass, and as @John A Roberts points out, we are REACH conform.
Evidently the warning label for California is because of how they evaluate lead in products - because we might have trace amounts within the Aluminium, we attach the warning label to be better safe than sorry. The trace impurities "are not dangerous for the consumer under reasonable and foreseeable use of the product."
On top of that, the NLs and ELs both have magnesium housings, so the aluminium in question must be some mini components somewhere inside.

 

[dries1]

I know Swarovski like any other company has to follow guidelines and regulations, but the world has to know that California is the land of non sensical over-regulation.

 

[Maljunulo]

This is a real windfall for those who obsessively search for things to hyperventilate over.

 

[Mark9473]

In the EU there's a new database called SCIP where companies need to declare products containing hazardous substances over a certain threshold. There are quite a number of binoculars listed. In all cases I've seen, the cause for listing is because of lead content in brass screws. Apparently brass always contains a certain percentage of lead because of easier processing.

It takes some filtering; there are currently almost 7 million entries.

SCIP-Database - ECHA

echa.europa.eu

Can't find Swarovski; they probably haven't gotten around to doing their homework yet.
Here's an example from the Nikon Monarch HG 10x42, identifying lead in an "axis set screw" and "lift pin guide".

 

[NDhunter]

California has had warning labels on Swarovski binoculars for some years, some may also be due to the plastics used
in the armor, etc.
The best thing to do is ignore this California thing, they are way over the top in this cautious policy.
They are the only state to do this.

Jerry

 

[[email protected]]

Didn't you know that is what NL meant? NO LEAD!

 

[sillyak]

If you ever see a California warning you can safely ignore it. They put it on almost everything sold in California, and many companies can't be bothered making separate California packaging. I guess the only way to get around it is an expensive process to prove your product doesn't have any of the long list of known carcinogens.

They literally have that warning when you walk into to a coffee shop in LA. It's on your coffee cup too.

 

[Patudo]

I would love to know why there seems to be this yearning for leaded glass in binoculars. Camera lenses maybe, if you're looking for that retro look in your photos - but I don't see folks wanting to bring back single coatings, or silvered prisms...

 

[jring]

I would love to know why there seems to be this yearning for leaded glass in binoculars. Camera lenses maybe, if you're looking for that retro look in your photos - but I don't see folks wanting to bring back single coatings, or silvered prisms...

Hi,

I don't understand it either - it might have been an issue right after leaded glass was replaced by close but not identical unleaded replacement glasses without changing the design.
But if you are designing a new instrument nowadays, it is absolutely no problem to get exactly the performance your product manager is willing to pay for with eco glass.

Joachim

 

[opisska]

It's not really dangerous for people to even occasionally handle items made of lead. The fight against lead exists mainly to stop it from getting scattered in the environment and to enter the food chain.

 

[dries1]

Was the notice about the lead in the NLs specific to materials within the binoculars, but not related to the actual glass/optics?

 

[Troubador]

It's not really dangerous for people to even occasionally handle items made of lead. The fight against lead exists mainly to stop it from getting scattered in the environment and to enter the food chain.

And don't forget the danger to employees in the factories where lead-containing glass was manufactured.

Lee