Petrolheads

[Odds]

from an article in today's Grauniad - A 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US found blood levels in children aged one to five years fell from 15.2 to 0.83 micrograms per decilitre between the late 1970s and 2016 as leaded fuels were banned.

It was actually telling how levels of lead in the atmosphere rose during the Roman Empire where, on average, lead levels in children’s blood at the peak of the Roman empire could have risen 2.4 micrograms per decilitre, the researchers found, reducing their IQ by 2.5 to 3 points. When taking background lead into account, childhood blood levels may have reached about 3.5 micrograms per decilitre.

Just think how much toxic waste has been spewed into the air by car drivers over the years, and multiply it by the amount still sent into the atmosphere by industry each year and ask the climate change deniers why they want to stunt your children's growth.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

We could have stayed in our caves, then we'd all be unleaded.

Also remember that when lead was no longer added to petrol, they had to increase the benzene content. Swapped something that may marginaly lower IQ for something that is carcinogenic.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

We could have stayed in our caves, then we'd all be unleaded.

Also remember that when lead was no longer added to petrol, they had to increase the benzene content. Swapped something that may marginaly lower IQ for something that is carcinogenic.

So it would be better long term, to reduce any petrol, and diesel use.

 

[norseman]

All these reports will be contradicted at a later date by someone needing to justify their pay-check.

Personally I look for something more interesting or informative to read

 

[carmanmemoranda]

All these reports will be contradicted at a later date by someone needing to justify their pay-check.

Personally I look for something more interesting or informative to read

You deny lead poisoning and exhaust content is harmful ?

Surely the only arguable point, is how bad.

 

[norseman]

You deny lead poisoning and exhaust content is harmful ?

Surely the only arguable point, is how bad.

Of course it's bad, but then so are a great many things that plebs like us have little or no control over.

If the powers-to-be want you to have it they promote the issue or product, if they want to dissuade you then it's bad.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Of course it's bad, but then so are a great many things that plebs like us have little or no control over.

If the powers-to-be want you to have it they promote the issue or product, if they want to dissuade you then it's bad.

You don't need telling though.

 

[Odds]

I found the article interesting as it claims the amount of lead pumped into the atmosphere during the Roman Empire lowered the IQ around Europe by 2-3 points - my question is, since removing lead from petrol, and paint, are we any smarter?
The other point is lead pipe: there's still over five million lead lined pipes across the UK and estimates quote around 1,000 years to remove them all.

 

[IT Minion]

I found the article interesting as it claims the amount of lead pumped into the atmosphere during the Roman Empire lowered the IQ around Europe by 2-3 points - my question is, since removing lead from petrol, and paint, are we any smarter?
The other point is lead pipe: there's still over five million lead lined pipes across the UK and estimates quote around 1,000 years to remove them all.

Yes, I believe IQ test scores have increased since the 1970s.

But is that diet, teaching quality, more teaching, better parenting, more practice before tests, different tests, better assessment processes, fewer babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome or reducing the amount of lead in the blood?

 

[Odds]

Yes, I believe IQ test scores have increased since the 1970s.

But is that diet, teaching quality, more teaching, better parenting, more practice before tests, different tests, better assessment processes, fewer babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome or reducing the amount of lead in the blood?

It could be a combination of all these things - or the fact that more quiz shows are on telly - or the growth of the Internet...although a trawl through the nether regions of the web could be an argument against that.

A greater benefit should be available when electric vehicles take over from their petrol driven ancestors.