The use of leaded gasoline, which proved to be harmful much later, lowered the IQ of everyone born before 2004 by ~4.25%. Since it is now banned, its impact on nature is not as much as before. The generation born after 2004 is therefore much healthier and smarter than the previous generation.
At gas stations “unleaded” We have often heard the emphasis of it, but we have never dwelled on it. Normally we might think that gasoline is leaded and that gasoline suppliers are removing lead from gasoline for our own good. However, the reality is exactly the opposite.
There is no lead in gasoline, and 100 years ago some companies added this extremely harmful substance to gasoline. Lead particles from automobile exhaust were carried by wind and rain, damaging not only the local population but also living things tens of thousands of kilometers away. Here are the companies The story of how they disregard public health:
Since the 1920s, 90% of the lead released into the atmosphere comes from burning gasoline.
The most dangerous polluting fuel of the 20th century Gasoline containing tetraethyllead, also known as ‘petroleum’, was first used in the 1920s to increase engine performance.
The first case of lead poisoning took place in 1924 at a refinery in the USA. Worker at the refinery 5 workers died However, despite the warnings of public health officials and environmentalists, the use of leaded gasoline continued to threaten the environment and human health for 100 years.
According to the World Health Organization, this type of gasoline emits more poison than any other substance containing lead. It pollutes the air, dust, soil, drinking water and food products.
Scientists have found that even low levels of lead exposure negatively affect intelligence development. and found that it slowed reflexes. However, leaded gasoline has been found to be linked to heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer.
Exposure to leaded gasoline It is reported that it mostly affects children. The product raises the level of lead in the blood to very dangerous levels, which negatively affects the intelligence development of children, thus reducing their academic success.
Rich countries began to reduce the use of leaded gasoline from the 1970s and to ban it from the 1980s. However, its use continued in more than 80 countries in the early 2000s.
The use of leaded gasoline, which was actively used around the world in the 1970s, allowed cars to use higher compression ratios, making them more powerful. It was first banned in 1986.
In fact, it was banned in 1926, 1943, 1954 and 1970 due to its harms, but lead remained dominant in gasoline due to the strategies and tactics used by the asbestos, tobacco, pesticides, nuclear and biotechnology sectors.
Hiding behind scientific obscurity, manipulating evidence, suppressing independent research and researchers, evading regulatory and supervisory mechanisms, channeling resources to denial lobbies and the media It was to cover the damages of lead.
After Algeria also stopped selling leaded gasoline in July 2021, the use of this toxic substance, which has been in use for 99 years, ended.
Use of leaded gasoline expiration it will prevent one million people from dying from causes such as heart disease, stroke and cancer before their death, and the intelligence of children will not be harmed by lead.
The era of leaded gasoline is over in the world, but it continues to pollute the air.
Experts say that the pollution that has accumulated on the soil for years is due to the end of the use of leaded gasoline. cannot be cleared immediately. warns. A recent study provides important insight into the negative consequences of this situation. The study provides compelling evidence that lead released into the air from vehicles in London during the 20th century accumulated in the soil and contributed to the city’s air pollution today.
Millions of tons of lead burned in the 20th century Much of it is still in the air, in the soil, in the water, and in the body of living organisms. It is thought that there is not a single piece of land or living species on earth that is not affected by man-made lead.
The rate of using unleaded gasoline in Turkey in 1996 was 86%, and it was only banned in 2004. That’s why it lowered the intelligence level of everyone born this year or before. However, if a step had been taken earlier, it would only affect those over 30 years old.
According to the “Leaded Gasoline Consumption and Lead Effects Report” of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the period in 2004, the amount of lead thrown into the atmosphere from gasoline powered vehicles is approximate according to 2003 data throughout Turkey. 230.000 kg/year is given as.
Resources: one, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
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