A Century of Hair Samples Proves Leaded Gas Ban Worked

Is Lead Exposure Really Declining? A Century of Hair Holds the Answer

Before the agency, lead levels were shockingly higher.

Hair samples show lead exposure falling in US

A study of a century’s worth of US hair samples showed that lead exposure has fallen more than 100-fold since the 1960s. High concentrations of lead cause developmental damage in children, notably neurological effects as well as cardiovascular, reproductive, and kidney problems. Lead’s use in petrol, paint, and elsewhere meant it was omnipresent in the mid-20th century until bans — such as the 1970 US Clean Air Act — began to take effect. The ne…

Banning lead in gas worked. The proof is in our hair

University of Utah researchers analyzed samples of Salt Lake residents’ hair going back a century to document a 100-fold decrease in lead concentrations, demonstrating the efficacy of environmental regulations that phased lead out of gasoline and paint beginning in the 1970s.

Preserved hair reveals just how bad lead exposure was in the 20th century

A new study reveals the dramatic decrease in lead exposure in the U.S. following the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency 55 years ago.

A century of hair samples proves leaded gas ban worked

“We should not forget the lessons of history. And the lesson is those regulations have been very important.”...