Macro shot of historical lead piping and modern laboratory testing glassware in cool clinical daylight, slate grey and deep navy tones

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The history of lead: from Rome to gasoline

Hazards in history

Imperial health hazards

Fortunately, however, we are not exposed to similar direct dangers today—lead and its compounds are restricted or banned in Europe, with strict restrictions also in place in China and the United States. In Europe, lead is on the Candidate List, and both lead and many of its compounds are included in the Authorisation List as well as the Restriction List.

Bright living room with modern inventory

Coins, kitchenware, piping—these are just a few of the everyday items the ancient Romans made from lead. The metal was soft, easily workable, and practically perfect for manufacturing. But what about its health effects?

According to some (perhaps slightly far-fetched) theories, the fall of the ancient Roman Empire was caused by lead. This is because lead reduces fertility and causes severe nervous system problems, and it is a well-known fact that many everyday objects in the empire were made of lead. These health problems were also very significant among the inhabitants of the empire (especially the aristocracy). According to the harmonized classification of the CLP Regulation, lead is classified as reprotoxic, which means it has a proven harmful effect on human fertility.

Environmental toxicology

Clair Patterson and leaded gasoline

However, lead also caused serious social problems as recently as the 20th century. In the 1950s, the American scientist Clair Patterson undertook the task of determining the age of the Earth for his doctoral dissertation. He used the decay of various radioactive uranium isotopes, which ultimately decay into lead isotopes. During his research, however, he discovered that lead was also present in significant quantities in many places where it should not naturally occur.

What was the reason for this unpleasant surprise? Tetraethyl lead was a major, widely used fuel additive that served as an anti-knock agent. Spurred by its effectiveness, huge quantities were produced—which then made their way into the environment during use.

Tetraethyl lead, along with other alkylated lead derivatives, is a neurotoxin that can cause symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, and, in severe cases, speech disorders and visual hallucinations [1]. Under the harmonized classification of the CLP Regulation, tetraethyl lead is classified as Reprotoxic 1A (Repr. 1A), meaning it has been shown to have harmful effects on human fertility [2].

Global ban

Complete phase-out of leaded gasoline

Once the harmful effects of the substance were discovered, countries gradually began banning leaded gasoline. For instance, the European Union banned its use in 2000. Finally, with Algeria’s ban in 2021, leaded gasoline is now banned in every country worldwide. This widespread prohibition has directly benefited the global population—blood lead levels around the world have dropped significantly in recent years [3].

Sources:
[1] https://lnkd.in/dJTmYHvU
[2] https://lnkd.in/dvB4F3Hu
[3] https://lnkd.in/ddXZYWTh