History of leaded petrol
Aftermath
After almost a century of TEL use in petrol, it has caused almost irreparable damage to human society, with many generations of children growing up inhaling lead fumes from car exhaust. Screening studies in eastern U.S. cities in the 1960s found that 10% – 20% of inner-city children had blood lead levels over 40 µg/dl (5 µg/dl is a level that the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated it requires global and regional interventions in children). 20 Currently, around 1 in 3 children, or 800 million globally, have blood lead levels higher than the recommended level of 5 µg/dl, which may damage the brain before they can fully develop, leading to lifelong neurological, cognitive and physical impairment, as well as mental health and behavioural problems and an increase in crime and violence. 21
Figure 7: Distribution of teachers’ ratings in relation to dentine lead concentrations 22
Research shows that 1941-1975 petrol lead use explained 90% of the 1964-1998 variation in the USA violent crime rate, as well as a clear relationship between lead exposure and USA burglary and crime rates. 23
In total, it is estimated that the phaseout of leaded petrol was increasing global GDP by 4 percent, or $2.4 trillion (counting health savings as well as social benefits from higher IQ and lower crime), as well as 1.2 million lives directly saved per year. 24 However, since leaded petrol is still in use in aviation with no plans for its replacement soon, children right now are still being poisoned by leaded exhaust fumes and TEL that have settled in the soil and dust from decades of misuse.
20 Needleman (note 12); UNICEF, accessed 15 th August 2023, https://www.unicef.org/reports/toxic-truth- childrens-exposure-to-lead-pollution-2020 21 Kovarik (note 11). 22 Needleman (note 12). 23 Rick Nevin, ‘Understanding international crime trends: The legacy of preschool lead exposure’, accessed 18 th August 2023, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935107000503?via%3Dihub. 24 Peter L. Tsai, Thomas H. Hatfield, ‘Global Benefits from the Phaseout of Leaded Fuel’, accessed 18 th August 2023, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26329321.
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