I cavi S-Video provocano il cancro?

I was ordering parts from an online retailer and received a warning stating that some of the products were known (by the state of California) to cause cancer.

Unsure which product had triggered the warning, I called the retailer on the phone. According to them, it was the S-Video cable. Sure enough, the warning went away when I removed the S-Video cable from the cart.

Then I tried adding several other S-Video cables from different companies. All of the S-Video cables I picked seemed to trigger the cancer warning.

Is there something in most S-Video cables that causes cancer?

Solder that contains lead is the most likely source of the “known to cause cancer or other reproductive harm” warning. Electronics assembled in Europe or for sale in the European Union are made with lead-free solder by law, but in the United States and most of Asia, the cheaper and easier to use tin-lead solders still rule. Do not eat the connectors, wash your hands after handling if the insulating plastic is broken, and you will be fine.

By the way, it is not just S-Video cables. You should find this warning for any product with solder in it that is not made for European Union compliance.

The state of California has much stricter laws on potential carcinogens than the rest of the United States. The warning just means that there are some chemicals in the product that may cause cancer in some specific situations. You would likely have to eat the thing.