Leaded Gas Exposure Might Have Lowered Iq Of 170 Million Americans
Lead is a known neurotoxin that can cause developmental delays, seizures, learning disabilities, and hearing loss, along with symptoms such as fatigue and irritability. Until the mid-1970s, lead was a ubiquitous gasoline additive. It stabilized gas and prevented fuel from igniting too early and causing engine knocking and engine damage. With the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency began phasing out the use of lead in gasoline, resulting in a total ban on the additive for “on-road vehicles” in 1996, though by that point, only 0....