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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: Oldeconomybuyer

Sure. Let’s see the solid evidence of that.

Pure nonsense.


41 posted on 03/08/2022 5:46:57 AM PST by Gnome1949
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Lead in Gasoline lowers IQs. Lead concentrations in the air are worse in cities than in the suburbs or rural areas.

Cities have been voting straight ticket Democrat for about 50 years.

Correlation does not prove causation, but...

42 posted on 03/08/2022 5:47:35 AM PST by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Public education in the US has “blunted” the IQ of most Americans by at least 20 points.


43 posted on 03/08/2022 5:47:45 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (If truckers quit their jobs, society would collapse. If politicians quit their jobs...HALLELUJAH!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Clearly


44 posted on 03/08/2022 5:48:18 AM PST by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I miss the smell of leaded gasoline being burned in a v-8.


45 posted on 03/08/2022 5:48:36 AM PST by READINABLUESTATE ( ‘When tyranny becomes law, resistance becomes duty.’)
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To: rlmorel

I would argue that the internet made a lot of people less smart because it has evolved from something that was exclusive by a highly do it yourself nature at first and but by bit, people gave up the do it yourself approach to go and use Facebook, YouTube, etc, where a lot of the work is done for you. Not having to do as much of the work yourself makes you arguably less bright because you don’t have to put as much thought into it. Don’t get me wrong, there are those that have gotten rich off of using platforms on the internet but for most of them? Not so much.


46 posted on 03/08/2022 5:48:57 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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To: 17th Miss Regt

The fact that more and more of our work is done for us such as say with computers or the internet could arguably be part of it too.


47 posted on 03/08/2022 5:49:58 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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To: rlmorel

The curriculum back then at least concentrated on reading, writing, history, snd math without social justice intertwined.


48 posted on 03/08/2022 5:50:10 AM PST by HollyB
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

So much bull$***, so little time


49 posted on 03/08/2022 5:50:43 AM PST by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you. )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The gasoline for piston aircraft engines still contains lead. Keeps the valves cooler and maybe has higher octane rating.

Someone out there probably knows more about this.


50 posted on 03/08/2022 5:51:22 AM PST by cymbeline
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

So THAT’S where liberal came from!


51 posted on 03/08/2022 5:51:24 AM PST by CodeToad (Arm up! They Have!)
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To: Yo-Yo

Even if you don’t have confirmation, there simply are situations where it’s wise or practical to take precautions.


52 posted on 03/08/2022 5:51:30 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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To: Oldeconomybuyer

They need to expand the study to test the low IQ people in the inner cities of all races more than from the leaded gasoline. I suspect lead pipes carrying water are blunting more IQ’s than exposure to gasoline.


53 posted on 03/08/2022 5:52:03 AM PST by Tennessee Conservative (My goal in life is to be the person my dogs think I am)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
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.

Coincides with the teacher union stranglehold on public education and the increased focus on social issues with less focus on the basics. For 30 years the GOP did nothing to stop this and continue today to allow it.

54 posted on 03/08/2022 5:52:30 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: 17th Miss Regt

post of the thread


55 posted on 03/08/2022 5:52:57 AM PST by SisterK (recognize and resist tyranny)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“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. “

Or those who siphoned gas.


56 posted on 03/08/2022 5:52:59 AM PST by HollyB
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To: donozark

I was thinking that perhaps, he had a fetish of sucking on tailpipes. That would explain a lot.

I do wonder if his parents were first cousins? Scranton appears to have been quite isolated in its early years. Perhaps cousins marrying cousins for several generations in XiJinBiden’s family tree.


57 posted on 03/08/2022 5:53:03 AM PST by A Formerly Proud Canadian ( Ceterum autem censeo Justinius True-dope-us esse delendam)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

That explains the dimocRAT party.


58 posted on 03/08/2022 5:53:07 AM PST by bigfootbob
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To: rlmorel

I will take “teacher’ union” for a thousand, Alex.


59 posted on 03/08/2022 5:53:15 AM PST by dforest
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To: HollyB

In the 1990s, I was taught about authoritarianism and how awful Hitler, Mao, and Stalin were all in the same class, I nicknamed my teacher back then the Crazy Greek, because he was of Greek Descent and probably despised both the Communists and the Fascists because of it. I miss those days.


60 posted on 03/08/2022 5:53:15 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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