Lead pollution linked to lower IQs in Roman Empire

Roman Empire’s lead pollution was high enough to lower IQs, study says
Silver fueled the rise of the Roman Empire. But the ancient process of mining and extracting silver was also making the air thick with lead, scientists found.
Widespread lead pollution in the Roman era made led to a drop in IQ across Europe, study suggests
"A 2 to 3 points lower IQ doesn't sound like much, but when you apply that to the entire European population, it's quite a lot."
Ancient lead pollution may have lowered IQs across the Roman Empire
The new research adds context to a long-standing debate about the role lead pollution and poisoning may have played in the collapse of the Roman Empire. Some historians have argued that Roman elites and emperors who purportedly displayed odd,
Roman Empire grew after catastrophic volcanic eruption, study finds
Why empires fall is a question that fascinates many. But in the search for an answer, imagination can run wild. Suggestions have emerged in recent decades that attribute the rise and fall of ancient empires such as the Roman Empire to climate change and disease. This has prompted discussions over whether "536 was the worst year to be alive".
Roman Empire's Air Pollution May Have Lowered The IQ of Europe
Using modern evidence of lead pollution and its health effects, the international team calculates that lead exposure in the Roman golden age could have caused a population-wide drop in IQ of about 2.5 to 3 points per person. And that goes for most of the Roman Empire, including its provinces of Gaul, northwestern Africa, Iberia, and Britannia.
Lead pollution linked to lower IQs in Roman Empire: Study
Atmospheric lead pollution likely caused cognitive decline among citizens of the Roman Empire, according to research published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers analyzed ice core records for an approximately thousand-year period corresponding roughly with the period from the Roman Republic through the decline of the empire,
How Pollution in Ancient Rome Lowered IQ of Population
Lead pollution might sound like a modern problem, but people were subjected to significant levels during antiquity, too.
Ancient Lead Poisoning May Have Contributed to the Roman Empire’s Downfall
Learn how researchers examined lead levels in ice cores dating back to the Roman Empire, and found concentrations high enough to affect IQs.
Lead Pollution Linked to IQ Decline in Roman-Era Europe
A study analyzing Arctic ice cores reveals that lead pollution during the Roman Empire's height contributed to an estimated 2-3 point IQ decline across Europe.
Pollution damaging human health since Roman Empire, say Oxford researchers
Industrial pollution has been having a negative impact on human health since the Roman Empire, new research shows.
Arctic ice shows pollution has harmed humans since Roman Empire
Researchers examined three ice core records to identify lead pollution levels in the Arctic between 500 BC to 600 AD.
How the Roman Empire solved its public sector pension problem – 2,000 years before Britain
Stretching from the windswept Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland down to North Africa, and from Portugal to the Middle East, ...
Rome's Greatest Humiliation: Roman Empire vs Germanic Tribes
In 9 AD, Arminius led a Germanic ambush, destroying 3 Roman legions in Teutoburg Forest. Warning: this episode contains ...
Did Climate Change Really Bring Down the Eastern Roman Empire?
Why empires fall is a question that fascinates many. But in the search for an answer, imagination can run wild. Suggestions ...