Grow up in the ‘60s or ‘70s? This ‘dangerously high’ exposure may have put your brain at risk
NY Post
Prepare to fume.
Leaded gasoline was widely used as car fuel in the US from the 1920s until the 1970s — it was phased out because it was found to be harmful to the environment and human health.
It’s taken decades for the extent of lead’s toxicity to be fully understood. A new study adds to the grim news — if you lived in an area with high levels of atmospheric lead between 1960 and 1974, when leaded gas was at its peak, you’re 20% more likely to suffer memory problems later in life.
“Research suggests half the US population — more than 170 million people — were exposed to high lead levels in early childhood,” said Maria C. Carrillo, the Alzheimer’s Association‘s chief science officer and medical affairs lead.
“This research sheds more light on the toxicity of lead related to brain health in older adults today.”
Lead was initially added to gas in the early 1920s to improve engine performance and prevent a knocking or rattling sound that occurs when fuel burns unevenly in the engine’s cylinders.
