Summary
Childhood lead exposure from leaded gasoline caused 151 million additional psychiatric illnesses in the U.S. between 1940 and 2015, according to new research.
Peak exposure occurred for Generation X (1966–1986 births) due to widespread use of leaded gasoline before its 1996 ban.
The study links lead exposure to higher rates of depression, anxiety, ADHD, and altered personality traits, including increased neuroticism and reduced conscientiousness.
Lead pollution also caused a collective loss of 824 million IQ points in Americans.
Yes, we noticed. Latest election being one of examples.
As a gen xer I still think this is likely a lowball estimate. But it’s still good to see the numbers. And still depressing to have to point out all the lead pipes still in use. Granted if they’re well maintained they’re “safe”. But seeing “maintenance” in a major population centers in a red state lacking. Knowing the rural areas are far far worse. Well, there’s going to be plenty lead addled millennials and zoomers too. And less will to fix it. 🤐
My God. We really are speed running “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” aren’t we? I always thought of it more in the sense of political and social decay. But we even have the god-damned lead pipes!
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again (along with many in this thread I’m sure): a large part of our fucked up political culture comes from lead poisoning. But not in a simple single-vector way.
In addition to the obvious neurotoxin effect that lead has and the way it amplifies mental health issues, there’s another vector: the effect that the behavior of lead-poisoned individuals have on the people around them. Especially in the era of social media. And this ripples through society and creates a crescendo of sociological damage.
I 100% agree with you. I’ve worked some jobs for companies with access to large swaths of data and one of the…say…more interesting patterns I saw was lead exposure areas of the US and how that area did when it came to education, voting, welfare program use, and other statistics.
The difference is significant and noticeable by anyone with eyes.
It probably helps if you don’t have lead plated neurons too.
But yeah, just looked it up and I’m kinda surprised. It’s the Midwest and Florida. Like it tracks, but I’m surprised we beat Mississippi in childhood blood lead content
Wouldn’t be surprised if the incoming administration saw this and added “bring back leaded gasoline” to their anti-woke agenda so they can more easily manipulate future generations.
Well they’re gona stop the chemtrails apparently so why not throw some lead back into the topsoil instead
Aviation fuel still contains lead. Not jet fuel but the avgas small private planes use. Pisses me off
NASCAR only stopped using leaded gas in 2008.
Yeah ive gotta fill my plane at work every day with that poison and and then when I test the fuel it gets all over my hand and my skin turns white once it dries (so I wash my hand) but YUCK. Most of the engines can totally run on mogas anyway they just don’t want to because a small percentage cannot and there’s only one fuel bowser.
….Do you not have access to gloves?
I’m sure I’ve met someone who’s lost 824 million IQ points.
Yeah my Gen-X childhood hell started making a lot more sense when I realized just how bad the lead problem was back in the day. It also explains the huge spike in graduations literally starting the year after I would have graduated. (I bailed and got a GED easy peasy).
I mean…yeah. One in my has to look remotely in americas direction to see that. Especially now.
Called it
Nostradamus over here!
