20th Century Lead Exposures Took Grim Toll on Americans' Health

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Decades of lead exposure from car exhaust altered the mental health of millions of Americans, making them more prone to depression, anxiety and ADHD, a new study claims.

Lead was first added to gasoline in 1923 to help keep car engines healthy, researchers said.

But lead is toxic to brain cells, and there’s no safe level of exposure at any point in life. Children are especially vulnerable, as lead is known to impair brain development.

Leaded gas was banned in the United States in 1996, but anyone born before then -- especially during peak use in the 1960s and 1970s -- is at risk for toxic brain effects from car exhaust, researchers said.