Learning difficulties caused by car exhaust fumes

Lead from car exhausts is the cause of learning difficulties and mental health problems in our young, a major new study has concluded.

More than 150 million cases of psychiatric disorders over the past 75 years in the US alone can be directly attributed to car exhaust fumes, say researchers from Duke University.  Problems include depression, anxiety and ADHD (attention-deficit, hyperactivity disorder).

The researchers reckon that Americans born before 1996—when lead was banned as an additive to petrol—experienced “significantly higher rates of mental health problems” because of lead exposure.  As a result, they experienced changes to their personalities that would have made them less successful in life and less resilient to challenges.

Lead—which was first added to petrol in 1923—had its highest concentrations in the environment during the 1960s and 1970s.

Lead is a neurotoxin that can erode brain cells and alter brain function and so there is no such thing as a safe level, said Aaron Rueben, the head investigator.  Lead also comes from water pipes and the US’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations only last October that gives cities 10 years to identify and replace lead piping in the public water supply.

Although anyone can suffer from lead exposure, children are especially vulnerable, Rueben added.

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