I've inhaled solder fumes on many occasions. It is nickel after all... maybe the metal gets in our blood streams, ah well though. They say it 'might' cause cancer, autism, blindness, infertility, and everything else... like everything else it's just another thing to be scared about. Of course silicon valley has many incidences of autism so I'm alert to the idea.

Then again, Silicon Valley is a good place for autistic people. My aspie uncle works in the programming business.

I would imagine that there are many aspies/autistics working in the software industry in Silicon Valley. There would also be many high achievers in SV who are "carriers" of autism genes even though they might not show signs of autism themselves. I wouldn't read too much into the possible nickel link.