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Roman Empire's use of lead lowered IQ levels across Europe, study finds

Widespread use of metal caused estimated 2- to 3-point drop in IQ for nearly 180 years of Pax Romana

“It’s amazing that we were able to quantify atmospheric air pollution over Europe nearly 2,000 years ago and assess potential health impacts on the ancient Roman civilisation,” said Dr Joseph McConnell at the Desert Research Institute in Nevada. By some estimates, the Roman empire amounted to more than 80 million people at its peak, meaning that about a quarter of the world’s population could have been exposed to the lead pollution generated by mining and smelting. A 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US found blood levels in children aged one to five years fell from 15.2 to 0.83 micrograms per decilitre between the late 1970s and 2016 as leaded fuels were banned.

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