Media: millions of Americans suffered from mental disorders because of lead
According to a study conducted by Duke University, tens of millions of Americans born before 1996 have suffered mental health problems due to toxic lead in gasoline, RIA Novosti reports citing The Daily Mail
According to media reports, in 1923, people began adding lead to gasoline to make it run better through engines. It was also added to paint and was used to make pipes that delivered drinking water. According to the newspaper, it was only in 1996 that the US authorities banned the addition of lead to gasoline, but before that, Americans were inhaling vapours filled with this heavy metal.
Thus, tens of millions of Americans born before 1996 suffered from mental disorders that were a direct result of exposure to toxic lead. According to a large-scale study, inhalation of lead-containing car fumes prior to that date was linked to 151 million cases of depression, anxiety and ADHD.
The publication notes that lead harms the nervous system and, in turn, affects the psyche. It is reported that when inhaled, lead vapour enters the bloodstream through the lungs, where the particles are absorbed by the body, causing inflammation that can lead to the destruction of neurons, which in turn can lead to developmental delays, cause behavioural problems and damage the nervous system.
