Lead pollution linked to lower IQs in Roman Empire

Roman Empire’s lead pollution was high enough to lower IQs, study says
Silver fueled the rise of the Roman Empire. But the ancient process of mining and extracting silver was also making the air thick with lead, scientists found.
Ancient Romans Breathed in Enough Lead to Lower Their IQs, Study Finds. Did That Toxin Contribute to the Empire’s Fall?
Did lead poisoning contribute to the fall of the Roman Empire? It’s a question historians have long debated, since the Romans sweetened their wine with lead acetate and sipped tap water that flowed through lead pipes.
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,
Roman Empire grew after catastrophic volcanic eruption, study finds
Why empires fall is a question that fascinates many. But in the search for an answer, imagination can run wild. Suggestions have emerged in recent decades that attribute the rise and fall of ancient empires such as the Roman Empire to climate change and disease. This has prompted discussions over whether "536 was the worst year to be alive".
Widespread lead pollution in the Roman era made led to a drop in IQ across Europe, study suggests
"A 2 to 3 points lower IQ doesn't sound like much, but when you apply that to the entire European population, it's quite a lot."
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.
Roman-Era Lead Pollution Linked to IQ Drop Across Europe
DRI scientists analyzed Arctic ice core records to reconstruct historical atmospheric lead pollution from Ancient Rome, uncovering a link between lead exposure and cognitive decline. Lead exposure is a significant public health concern,
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.
Pollution damaging human health since Roman Empire, say Oxford researchers
Industrial pollution has been having a negative impact on human health since the Roman Empire, new research shows.
Arctic ice shows pollution has harmed humans since Roman Empire
Researchers examined three ice core records to identify lead pollution levels in the Arctic between 500 BC to 600 AD.
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
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