Childhood lead exposure from leaded gasoline has caused widespread mental health issues, particularly in Generation X, highlighting the dangers of delayed environmental regulation.
A recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry reveals that childhood exposure to lead, which reached its highest levels between 1960 and 1990 in many industrialized nations due to leaded gasoline use, has adversely affected mental health. This exposure is likely linked to numerous cases of mental illness and changes in personality.
For the study, investigators combined blood–lead level data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys with historic leaded gasoline data. (Leaded gas was phased out in United States by 1996.) They estimated US childhood blood–lead levels from 1940 to 2015 and assessed mental-health symptoms that have been linked to lead exposure.
Alarming Findings on Mental Health Disorders
Assuming that published associations of lead with illnesses are causal and not purely correlational, the team estimated that by 2015, there were 151 million excess mental disorders attributable to lead exposure. Lead-associated mental health and personality differences were most pronounced for people born from 1966 through 1986 (Generation X).
“Society frequently operates under the presumption that environmental exposures are safe until proven otherwise. Leaded gasoline wasn’t needed as an anti-knock agent—there were alternatives available. It was profitable. An abundance of incontrovertible evidence occurring across decades was required to ban it,” said corresponding author Michael McFarland, PhD, of Florida State University. “By documenting the widespread consequences of exposure, this study underscores the folly of such thinking and highlights the long-lasting health consequences of exposure to the population.”
Reference: “Contribution of childhood lead exposure to psychopathology in the US population over the past 75 years” by Michael J. McFarland, Aaron Reuben and Matt Hauer, 4 December 2024, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.14072
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14 Comments
The worst result of leaded gasoline? Fouled spark plugs!!!!!!
What the researchers failed to take into account was a kind of inflammatory very, very mild food allergy reactions identified, studied and reported on by Dr. Arthur F. Coca by 1935, which mainstream medicine still fails to recognize, research, practice or teach as true allergies, aggravated (or not) with FDA approved food poisoning since the late 1960s, namely soy, TBHQ (1972) and MSG (1980). And, for an extreme contemporary example, if leaded gas was/is the problem, then why are most school shooters teenagers? As a senior who used to siphon leaded gas in my youth, lead might be a contributing factor but certainly not a cause. Furthermore, are professional researchers ever going to learn that stand-alone “evidence-based” research is not reliable.
Truly spoken like a senior who sucked leaded gas in his youth. Like hot dang I think you nailed every factor the study covered:
– General psychopathology
– Anxiety
– High neuroticism
– Low conscientiousness
You got the high score, buddy! Congrats!
I worked a getty leady gas company pouring pure lead gas for years into cars does Getty boys owe me lead poisoning reparations LOL 😎🇺🇸
Again/still only relatively healthy but free of any regular prescription treatments and living independently in four season central Wisconsin, I’m the walking, talking, reading, writing and snow shoveling proof of my lay findings and practices. A new from me rule-of-thumb on chronic diseases: if it varies notably from day to day it’s probably dietary, not just old age or prior injury. Definitely not a professional ghost, myself.
Aviation fuel for propeller planes is still “highly leaded”. Federal law allows the continued use of this very toxic substance and is exhausted into the air and clouds we breath and drink. Yikes
Oh no, old studies, old thinking (especially as they may have resulted from prior educational standards) are no good! All those people were lead poisoned – so no one need bother with any pesky contrarians – when you can just accept the paid-for non-science pouring from the endless new institutions popping up all over the world; with odd ball claims and AI art.
Very good advise for people not in the fold of the knowledgeable; but really; isn’t some bogus science good for narrative control? Not saying that we aren’t all severely mentally diseased because of the lead in our brains; but isn’t nice to be able to blame others for our sick minds?
This explains a lot of things.
I always thought that 50% of the USA was crazy.
Your estimate is just a bit high. More in the 35% range, give or take.
I worked a getty leady gas company pouring pure lead gas for years into cars does Getty boys owe me lead poisoning reparations LOL 😎🇺🇸
I always wondered how anyone could have voted for Harris—These gas heads.
Have you been tested for lead exposure Bob?