lead, IQ and Rome

Ancient lead pollution may have lowered IQs across the Roman Empire
The new research adds context to a long-standing debate about the role lead pollution and poisoning may have played in the collapse of the Roman Empire. Some historians have argued that Roman elites and emperors who purportedly displayed odd,
Ancient Rome’s lead air pollution may have dropped average IQ by up to 3 points
Ancient Rome’s relentless lead pollution may have dimmed the intellect of its citizens, leaving a toxic legacy that survives in today's Greenland ice sheet.
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.
Lead pollution across the Roman Empire would have caused IQ deficits
Lead records from Arctic glaciers indicate that people all over Europe would have been affected by pollution from metal smelting during the Roman era
How Lead Pollution During Ancient Rome’s Glory Days Shockingly Lowered IQ Across Europe
New research finds that pollution from ancient silver and lead mining during the Roman Empire resulted in lowered intelligence across Europe.
Lead pollution in the air impacted all ancient Romans
The researchers first took measurements of lead deposited in three Arctic ice cores every year between 500 BCE and 600 CE using techniques they have reported before. They found that lead emissions shot up around 15 BCE, soon after the rise of the Roman Empire, and dipped around 165–180 CE with the end of Pax Romana.
Roman Empire's Air Pollution May Have Lowered The IQ of Europe
Using modern evidence of lead pollution and its health effects, the international team calculates that lead exposure in the Roman golden age could have caused a population-wide drop in IQ of about 2.5 to 3 points per person. And that goes for most of the Roman Empire, including its provinces of Gaul, northwestern Africa, Iberia, and Britannia.
Lead pollution likely caused widespread IQ declines in ancient Rome, new study finds
Lead exposure is responsible for a range of human health impacts, with even relatively low levels impacting the cognitive development of children. DRI scientists have previously used atmospheric pollution records preserved in Arctic ice cores to identify periods of lead pollution throughout the Roman Empire,
How Pollution in Ancient Rome Lowered IQ of Population
Lead pollution might sound like a modern problem, but people were subjected to significant levels during antiquity, too.
Lead pollution linked to lower IQs in Roman Empire: Study
Atmospheric lead pollution likely caused cognitive decline among citizens of the Roman Empire, according to research published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers analyzed ice core records for an approximately thousand-year period corresponding roughly with the period from the Roman Republic through the decline of the empire,
Pollution In Ancient Rome Caused The IQ Of People To Decline Across Europe
Lead exposure has left its toxic fingerprints all over history. We’ve come a long way in reducing its presence, but […]
E&E4h
New chair prioritizes air pollution permitting bill
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA requires an NSR permit — possibly accompanied by stricter pollution controls — when such ...
The Independent11d
Air pollution caused by AI tech could lead to 1,300 U.S. deaths annually by 2030, researchers say
Air pollution that is emitted from centers that are being opened all over the U.S. could result in as many as 1,300 early deaths each year by 2030. “When we talk about the costs of AI ...