Problems mental health They have practically become a pandemic, affecting people of all ages. It may seem that the youngest suffer the most because they are the ones who talk about it the most and also seek psychological help the most. However, in reality this is because new generations have lost a significant part taboo what the previous ones had. This does not mean that they did not exist in the past depression or anxiety. In any case, it is true that the environmental situation, military conflicts and the many consequences of capitalism, not to mention what happened with Covid-19, have greatly aggravated these problems. This is clear and we know it well. However, there are much lesser known causes of mental disorders. For example, using leaded gasoline.
He recently explained this in an article for Talk economics teacher Ludovica Gazzefrom the University of Warwick. In this publication he refers to a recent study by scientists from Florida State Universitybut also other studies carried out in various parts of the world in recent years.
In all of them changes in cognitive and mental health people trafficked in various parts of the world since leaded gasoline was banned. This ban was very gradual so that studies could be carried out in different parts of the world and the results could be compared to get more solid conclusions. They leave no room for doubt. These energy sources were most likely the cause of many mental health problems in humans generation
Harmful effects of lead
Lead has long been used for a variety of purposes. The Romans added it to wine. The Egyptians used it as a sweetener for do makeup and many artists throughout history have used it as a pigment. The harmful consequences were not long in coming.
Historical figures as relevant as Francisco de Goya and Ludwig van Beethoven They lost their hearing and became ill from exposure to lead. The first is through pigments, and the second is through the consumption of adulterated wine and fish from polluted waters.
Today it is known that lead imitates calcium in the body. This means that it interferes with many physiological functions, preventing them from performing their function. Calcium is especially needed by the nervous system, so many of the known effects of lead poisoning are at the cognitive level.
Although all this was already clear at the beginning of the 20th century, the search for the use of lead continued. It was believed that if it was not swallowed or touched, it would not be dangerous. The biggest boom came in 1921, when three engineers from General Motors They found that adding tetraethyl lead to gasoline significantly improved performance and reduced possible damage to engines.
Sure, it was very effective, but its discoverers realized it was a bad idea when one of them got sick. Soon after they did it several workers is engaged in the production of leaded gasoline. Some even died. Lid was blamed for the deaths. However, US health authorities have concluded that the risk to drivers and people exposed to road traffic will be practically non-existenttherefore extreme precautions will only need to be taken at the industrial level. They reached these conclusions based on industry-sponsored research. Despite this, it was considered reliable and continued to be used for a long time.
Phasing out leaded gasoline
In the 1970s, independent studies were published in which leaded gasoline performed poorly. In their opinion, this can be dangerous for drivers and people on the move. Moreover, in the same decade, a way to obtain unleaded gasoline with similar characteristics, so this metal was no longer needed. Gradually its use declined and it began to be banned in 1999. The first country to do this was Great Britain. The last one, in 2021, is Algeria. In the case of Spain, it was banned in 2002.
This information is interesting because studies have been conducted to determine the effect of leaded gasoline on mental health and other health problems. If observational data from different countries at different times were compared, it would be possible to test whether this fuel affects any of these symptoms.
One of the first studies of this type was conducted in Sweden. Cognitive data of children living in areas near or far from highways. But it wasn’t just these two groups of children that were compared. Comparisons were also made within each group over time, and leaded gasoline was banned.
Thus, it was clear that in places near motorways the proportion of children with low educational results And increased risk of developing criminal activity in adulthood. However, this risk has decreased since leaded gasoline has been banned.
Leaded Gasoline and the Gen X Mental Health Crisis
Since the Swedish study, others have been conducted in different countries. In some cases, only cognitive effects were analyzed. Others have also taken into account how exposure to leaded gasoline affects cardiovascular or kidney healthamong others. The latest study, published just a few days ago, analyzed data from the US and New Zealand. Again, a strong association was found between proximity to traffic areas and mental health problems, but the risks decreased with the ban on leaded petrol.
People from generationborn between 1965 and 1981. Later generations have many mental health problems, but leaded gasoline is no longer affected because most people in this generation lived in places where leaded gasoline is not available.
This study suggests that leaded gasoline may have caused 151 million preventable mental disorders. These include depression, anxiety, and certain conditions such as neuroticism and others.
Thus, mental health is influenced by many more factors than we might imagine. From economic crises to leaded gasoline. One thing is clear: if your mental health is suffering, it is in no way your fault. If you want to start treating it, this is the first thing you should keep in mind.
Source: Hiper Textual
