Lead pollution in ancient Rome may have dropped average IQ, study finds
Lead pollution in ancient Rome likely dropped the average IQ, a study found. The research is based on an analysis of ice cores extracted from Greenland.
In ancient Rome, toxic lead was so pervasive in the air that it most likely dropped the average person’s IQ by 2.5 to 3 points, new research suggests.
The study, published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, amplifies long-standing questions about what role, if any, lead pollution played in the empire’s downfall.
The authors linked lead found in ice samples from Greenland to ancient Roman silver smelters and determined that the incredible amount of background pollution they produced would have affected much of Europe.
Using studies about lead exposure in modern society, the researchers were able to determine how much lead most likely ended up in Romans’ bloodstreams and the effects that would have had on their cognition.
Lead, a powerful neurotoxin, remains a public health menace today. There is no safe amount to have in your body. Exposure is associated with learning disabilities, reproductive problems, mental health issues and increased risk of hearing loss, among other effects.
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