the true enemy

The Fight Against Leaded Gasoline: Corporate Resistance and Public Health Battles

When General Motors, DuPont, and Standard Oil introduced leaded gasoline in the 1920s, they knew lead was toxic. Scientists had long been aware of lead poisoning, but the companies prioritized profit over safety. The Ethyl Corporation (a joint venture between GM and Standard Oil) aggressively marketed tetraethyl lead (TEL) as "Ethyl Gasoline," avoiding the word "lead" to downplay health concerns.

By the 1920s and '30s, workers in TEL production plants were suffering from severe lead poisoning, with some experiencing hallucinations, seizures, and even death. Public health officials raised alarms, but the companies dismissed concerns, claiming small amounts of lead in gasoline were harmless.

How They Blocked the Ban on Leaded Gas

1. Industry-Funded "Research" – Ethyl Corporation and oil companies paid scientists to defend leaded gasoline, claiming it was safe at low exposure levels.

2. Government Influence – The companies had strong ties to policymakers, delaying regulation.

3. Attacks on Critics – Scientists like Clair Patterson, who exposed widespread lead pollution, faced industry attacks and efforts to discredit their work.

4. Economic Fear Tactics – They warned that banning leaded gas would hurt the auto industry, increase costs, and make cars less efficient.

Despite mounting evidence, leaded gasoline remained dominant until environmental regulations in the 1970s forced its phase-out.

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Long-Term Effects of Leaded Gasoline: A Poisoned Legacy

Even though leaded gasoline was banned for road use in the U.S. by 1996, its toxic legacy remains:

1. Widespread Soil and Air Contamination

Lead particles from exhaust settled into the soil of cities, near roads, and in older homes with leaded paint.

In urban areas, lead levels in soil remain dangerously high, especially in low-income communities.

2. Generational Health Damage

Lead exposure reduces IQ and damages cognitive development, particularly in children.

It increases the risk of ADHD, aggression, and learning disabilities.

Lead also causes heart disease, kidney problems, and high blood pressure later in life.

3. Connection to Crime Rates

Studies suggest that childhood lead exposure contributed to the crime wave of the 1970s–1990s.

Lead damages the prefrontal cortex, which controls impulse regulation, increasing aggression and violent behavior.

Crime rates began to drop in the 1990s, around 20 years after leaded gasoline was phased out—a pattern observed globally.

4. Economic and Social Costs

The U.S. alone lost trillions of dollars due to reduced productivity, healthcare costs, and criminal justice expenses from lead exposure.

Many communities, particularly in Black and low-income neighborhoods, continue to suffer from higher lead levels due to environmental racism.

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The World is Still Recovering

Algeria was the last country to ban leaded gasoline in 2021, meaning a century of lead pollution still lingers worldwide.

Some countries still deal with lead poisoning from old gasoline reserves, leaded aviation fuel, and industrial pollution.

Cleanup efforts are slow and costly, with millions still exposed through old pipes, contaminated soil, and industrial waste.

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A Preventable Disaster

The story of leaded gasoline is one of corporate greed, scientific manipulation, and government inaction. The science was clear from the start—lead was dangerous. But it took decades of activism, scientific persistence, and public pressure to force a ban.

The world is still suffering from the short-term profits of a few powerful companies. If leaded gas had been banned earlier, millions of lives could have been improved, and the planet would be in far better shape today.