PNAS: Lead pollution is harming human IQ

Lead is a developmental neurotoxin that is widely used in industry and was once widely distributed in the environment
.

The extent to which Americans are exposed to high levels of lead early in life is unknown, nor is the effect on population IQ

Lead is a developmental neurotoxin that is widely used in industry and was once widely distributed in the environment

In developed countries, the use of paint, plumbing and gasoline has left vast amounts of water, soil, respiratory tract and households with lead, a neurotoxin that threatens the health and development of today's children

In a research article titled Half of US population exposed to adverse lead levels in early childhood published in PNAS by Michael J.

Using data from the U.
S.
Census, lead gas consumption statistics, and lead exposure surveys conducted by the U.
S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1976 to 2016 (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES] II, III, and IV), the study estimated Figured out the number of children living in the United States who were exposed to various lead levels (eg, 5 g/dL of blood lead) before, during, and after the leaded gasoline era in 2015
.

To inform decision-making and research in areas likely to be impacted by a better understanding of lead exposure trends, including economics, medicine, public health, and criminal justice, an established lead dose-response relationship was estimated in one outcome area Cognitive ability to describe potential population-level consequences of legacy lead exposure

Using data from the U.

Percentage of leaded gasoline consumption and blood lead concentration in children under 5 µg/dL, 1940-2016

Percentage of leaded gasoline consumption and blood lead concentration in children under 5 µg/dL, 1940-2016

In 2015 , more than 170 million (53%) had a BLL higher than 5 g/dL in early life (±2.
84 million [80% CI]), more than 54 million (17%) had a BLL higher than 15 g/dL, and more than 450 10,000 (1%) had a BLL above 30 g/dL (280,000 [80% CI])
.

Almost 90% of those born between 1951 and 1980 had a BLL greater than 5 g/dL, while those born after 2001 had a BLL significantly lower than 5 g/dL

2015 In 2015 , more than 170 million (53%) had BLL above 5 g/dL in early life (±2.

Changes in the distribution of BLL in children by age (A and C) and over time (B and D)
.

Changes in the distribution of BLL in children by age (A and C) and over time (B and D)
.

According to the CDC's current threshold of clinical concern, more than half of the U.
S.
population today has an elevated BLL in early childhood
.

By providing demographic estimates, this study is an important step toward understanding the full and multifaceted consequences of lead exposure on the U.

More than half of the U.

original source

original source

McFarland MJ, Hauer ME, Reuben A.

McFarland MJ, Hauer ME, Reuben A.
Half of US population exposed to adverse lead levels in early childhood.
Proc Natl Acad Sci US A.
2022;119(11):e2118631119.
doi:10.
1073/pnas.
2118631119.
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