A century of hair samples proves leaded gas ban worked
Ars Technica • • health
Key Points:
- Scientists at the University of Utah analyzed human hair samples spanning nearly 100 years and found a 100-fold decrease in lead concentrations, demonstrating the effectiveness of the EPA's 1970s crackdown on lead-based products like lead paint and leaded gasoline.
- The study highlights the importance of environmental regulations, especially amid concerns about potential deregulation of EPA policies under the Trump administration, including possible loosening of enforcement of the 2024 Lead and Copper rule.
- Historical context includes key figures like Thomas Midgley Jr., who developed leaded gasoline and defended its safety despite personal lead poisoning, and Clair Patterson, whose research on lead contamination helped drive the phase-out of lead in gasoline.
- Lead accumulates in the environment and human tissue, including
