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Lead from gasoline blunted the IQ of about half the U.S. population, study says
NBC News / Comcast ^ | March 7, 2022 | By Elizabeth Chuck

Posted on 03/08/2022 5:31:41 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Exposure to leaded gasoline lowered the IQ of about half the population of the United States, a new study estimates.

The peer-reviewed study, published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focuses on people born before 1996 — the year the U.S. banned gas containing lead.

Overall, the researchers from Florida State University and Duke University found, childhood lead exposure cost America an estimated 824 million points, or 2.6 points per person on average.

Certain cohorts were more affected than others. For people born in the 1960s and the 1970s, when leaded gas consumption was skyrocketing, the IQ loss was estimated to be up to 6 points and for some, more than 7 points. Exposure to it came primarily from inhaling auto exhaust.

The team behind the study used gas consumption data, population estimates and other data to calculate that as of 2015, more than 170 million Americans had had blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter in their early childhood years.

Lead is a neurotoxin, and no amount of it is safe. Currently, 3.5 micrograms per deciliter is the reference value for blood lead levels to be considered high; the acceptable amount was once higher.

Principal study author Michael McFarland, an associate professor of sociology at Florida State University and a faculty member of the university’s Center for Demography and Population Health, called the number of people affected by lead exposure “staggering.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bidenvoters; democrats; democratvoters; elizabethchuck; lead; liberals; nbc; nbcia; progressives; qanon
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To: Professional Engineer

“It’s got electrolytes!”


121 posted on 03/08/2022 8:48:43 AM PST by rlmorel (The concept of a "cashless society" is simply a vector for the exercise of tyranny.)
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To: oblomov

OK, this explains Democrats.

But it doesn’t explain the assistant Democrats like Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney.

A hippo can call itself a Cheeta and put dots all over itself, but that does not make it one. But they can self identify as a cheeta thanks to lead in gasoline that the liberals huff on. And if you don’t agree due to high intelligence, you are a bigoted racist. This is a sign of lead poisoning.

Now you know why republicants wanted gas diluted with ethanol, in hopes that the corn would counter the lead, but it poisoned the ground water and sped up the retardation, to the point that we now buy water in plastic bottles for $1.50.


122 posted on 03/08/2022 9:11:02 AM PST by The MAGA-Deplorian ( 2022 - VOTE THE BUMS OUT —— ALL OF THEM! RE-ELECT NO ONE!!)
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To: rlmorel
Both my grandfather's had 8th grade educations. They could solve complicated geometry and algebraic problems run businesses and become quite wealthy. One grandfather grew up in a household where his father made his own lead base paint on the kitchen stove (don't know if that was common or not.) Painted his house almost every year, (no lead exposure there /s.)

Yet too many of today's kids get out of school and can barely read, if at all. And just forget about math. It is because of leaded gasoline? Yeah sure... it's totally believable, that must be it./s

123 posted on 03/08/2022 9:12:14 AM PST by D Rider ( )
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To: Navy Patriot

“Lead from gasoline blunted the IQ of about half the U.S. population, study says”

Most of which would logically be in big cities where the pollution is concentrated. Lead pipes and lead paint may also have contributed.

I bet the methodology of the study is flawed. Too many other variables have been overlooked.


124 posted on 03/08/2022 9:27:47 AM PST by Paperpusher (Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Pick a study. Any study.

IQ scores are declining. Scientists believe they know why (2018)

"The study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on Monday, considered data from a survey of Norwegian men born between 1962 and 1991. They found that for those who were born between 1962 and 1975, IQ scores gained nearly three percentage points each decade. However, the IQs of those born after 1975 declined."

125 posted on 03/08/2022 9:41:14 AM PST by yesthatjallen
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

But leaded gas made my 1960 Austin Healey 3000 run like a Swiss watch. Unleaded...not so much.


126 posted on 03/08/2022 9:51:37 AM PST by moovova
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Here come the law suits.

Hey, I missed my 2.6 IQ points during life. I’m now a victim.

Where’s my check?

5.56mm


127 posted on 03/08/2022 9:55:47 AM PST by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho need to go.)
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To: Paperpusher
"Too many other variables have been overlooked."

Relevant variables have deliberately been overlooked.

128 posted on 03/08/2022 10:06:28 AM PST by yesthatjallen
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Puberty Blockers, for sex-confused children, knock 8 points off IQ.


129 posted on 03/08/2022 10:07:14 AM PST by NetAddicted ( Just looking)
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To: D Rider

Exactly. It is all a bunch of hooey. And I am sure they got government money to do the study.


130 posted on 03/08/2022 11:01:11 AM PST by rlmorel (The concept of a "cashless society" is simply a vector for the exercise of tyranny.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I think it’s public schools and media consumption.


131 posted on 03/08/2022 11:32:08 AM PST by Trillian
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Mostly Democrats, with an occasional Republican, as in RINO.


132 posted on 03/08/2022 12:52:50 PM PST by dirtymac ( Now Is The Time For All Good Men To ComeTo The Aid Of Their Country! NOW)
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To: WMarshal

“L.A. was blanketed with lead smog for decades”

I know about it, I grew up in Orange County we got L.A.’s overflow. Real thick back in the 70’s.


133 posted on 03/08/2022 1:14:22 PM PST by DAC21
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To: nascarnation

And how are you? I’ll be keeping an eye on you now lol. J/k

When I lived in Corpus Christi, I’d head over the border from time to time. I sent my sister some from ceramics. Later after we learned about lead in Mexican ceramics, I told her and her kids- ‘just think - your kids could have been geniuses had they not eaten dip from those bowls”. Lol


134 posted on 03/08/2022 2:16:03 PM PST by HollyB
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Sounds like some more disinformation to me. What do they think....were people drinking the stuff? I was probably exposed to it much more than average, but I still didn’t vote for Biden, Obama, Clinton, etc.


135 posted on 03/08/2022 9:15:29 PM PST by oldtech
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To: Trillian

There might be validity to that. For so many people nowadays, it involves letting other people do your thinking and your work for you. I remember the internet being a do it yourself endeavor up through the 2000s before Twitter and Facebook, and YouTube, and the other platforms took over. The reason for the other platforms taking over was because they were easy in comparison and they often did most of the work for you as opposed to you writing out the HTML or the Java yourself. Since it didn’t require as much thinking but way more being a passive audience on the internet, it isn’t too far of a stretch that many people ended up thinking less, and didn’t need as much intelligence or thinking to get by in life.


136 posted on 03/09/2022 5:07:56 AM PST by Morpheus2009 (If you want me to be afraid, then be consistent in your logic, standards, and your lies!s)
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