Lead pollution likely dropped the average IQ in ancient Rome by 2.5 to 3 points, a study found. The research is based on an analysis of lead concentrations in ice cores extracted from Greenland.

Lead air pollution, researchers now suggest, was so pervasive during the height of the Roman Empire that it may have lowered ...

Lead pollution in ancient Rome was so high that it dropped the population’s IQ by around 3 points, if not more. Elites were exposed to lead through water pipes, cooking pots, bath tubs ...

Exposure to lead from mining probably lowered I.Q. levels in the empire, research has found. It might be the world’s first case of widespread industrial pollution. By Katherine Kornei Roughly ...

A new exhibition in London (open until February 2026) called Thirst: In search of freshwater highlights how civilizations ...

In ancient Rome, toxic lead was so pervasive in the air that it most likely dropped the average person’s IQ by 2.5 to 3 points, new research suggests. The study, published Monday in the journal ...

Lead pollution in ancient Rome was so high that it dropped the population’s IQ by around 3 points, if not more. Elites were exposed to lead through water pipes, cooking pots, bath tubs, cosmetics and ...