A new study reveals that lead pollution from Roman metalworking industries caused a significant drop in IQ across Europe. Researchers estimate a 2- to 3-point reduction in IQ due to the widespread airborne lead contamination.
Vulcan’s Forge by Diego Velázquez in 1630. Vulcan was the Roman god of fire and metalworking, which contributed with other industries to vast pollution in the Roman empire.Apart from sanitation, medicines, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what did the Romans ever do for us? asks an exasperated Reg in Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
One answer, according to a new study, is widespread cognitive decline across Europe, courtesy of the vast quantities of lead pollution churned out by the booming metals industry that shaped the empire. Researchers have said the massive expansion of mining and the processing of metal ores in particular caused airborne lead pollution to soar during the peak of the empire, leading to an estimated 2- to 3-point drop in IQ across the land. “It’s amazing that we were able to quantify atmospheric air pollution over Europe nearly 2,000 years ago and assess potential health impacts on the ancient Roman civilisation,” said Dr Joseph McConnell at the Desert Research Institute in Nevada. “Our findings demonstrate that anthropogenic emissions from industrial activities have resulted in widespread damage to human health for over two millennia, which is pretty profound in my view,” he added. Roman physicians were aware of the dangers of lead poisoning, but the metal was still widely used for water pipes and cooking pots and found its way into medicines, cosmetics and toys. The metal was also ingested on purpose after Romans discovered that lead-containing syrups helped to preserve and sweeten win
Lead Pollution Roman Empire Cognitive Decline IQ Environmental Health
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