Growing up in lead-contaminated area may alter personality, study says

[Judi Lynn]

ULY 14, 2021 / 3:05 AM

ByAlan Mozes, HealthDay News

Can childhood lead exposure affect personality into adulthood?

Yes, a big multi-decade study suggests.

The finding stems from an analysis of data on atmospheric lead levels across the United States and 37 European nations since 1960. Lead levels were stacked up against responses to a personality survey of roughly 1.5 million men and women.

The result: Americans raised in areas with high levels of airborne lead grew up to be less conscientious, less agreeable, and, among the 20s and 30s set, more neurotic.

"Atmospheric lead, like all sources of lead exposure, is quite dangerous," said lead author Ted Schwaba, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Even low levels of lead exposure have been linked to poor health, mental disorders, school delinquency, and pretty much any other negative outcome you can think of," Schwaba said.
His team said even low-level lead exposure may adversely affect personality traits, harming people's well-being, life expectancy and economic prospects throughout life.

More:
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/07/14/lead-contamination-alter-personality-study/6901626229398/?ur3=1

[Warpy]

1. Once lead was eliminated from gasoline, a major source

for subtle lead poisoning in children was removed. Many sociologists link that with the dropping crime rates a decade later.

[Duppers]

2. Lead levels higher than Flint's in 1000's of locales

Reuters finds lead levels higher than Flint’s in thousands of locales

MAP at link...

http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-lead-testing/

And another very detailed map here:

http://www.vox.com/a/lead-exposure-risk-map

[Lars39]

3. Thanks for posting that!

[Duppers]

4. 'Welcome. 👍

[Judi Lynn]

6. Great information, Duppers. Thank you. ⭐️

[Duppers]

7. Most welcome!

I think this is a larger problem than most people realize, so thank you for the thread.

[hunter]

5. I was totally screwed.

I grew up living near the world's busiest freeways at the peak of the leaded gasoline and paint and water pipe era.

And god knows what was in the fish we ate that my dad caught in Santa Monica Bay. That was 80% of the animal protein me and my siblings consumed as children.

I still think quitting high school was one of the better decisions I've ever made in my life.

Yes, I was some kind of delinquent. Whenever I could figure out a way to escape school I did, starting in the seventh grade.

Those poor pathetic fools and their "perfect attendance" awards.

Granted, about a third of those absences I was in the hospital.

Curiously among my siblings it's me and a sister, another high school dropout, who landed the higher power university degrees.

Can't claim to be "successful" but unlike my childhood, not me or any of my siblings are worrying about the price of groceries.

I'm a rice and beans kind of guy anyways. Well taught by my crazy artist parents.