Study indicates Roman Empire’s toxic metal usage decreased IQ all over Europe for 180 years
Date
1/11/2025 5:28:35 PM
(MENAFN) A new study suggests that widespread lead pollution during the Roman Empire may have contributed to a significant decline in cognitive function across Europe that lasted nearly 180 years. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study estimates that the average IQ of individuals in the empire may have dropped by 2.5 to 3 points due to exposure to the toxic metal.
Researchers analyzed chemicals found in Greenland ice cores, revealing that lead pollution spiked after 15 BC and persisted until the decline of the Pax Romana in AD 180. Lead, largely used in the mining and smelting of silver and coinage, became airborne and affected the population. The study highlights how industrial activities have long had detrimental effects on human health.
While the reduction in IQ may seem small, the impact was widespread, affecting the entire population over nearly two centuries. Additionally, Romans were exposed to lead from other sources like plumbing and kitchenware.
The study raises questions about whether the high levels of lead exposure may have played a role in the eventual decline of the Roman Empire. However, the authors leave it to historians and epidemiologists to explore whether this factor was significant enough to alter history.
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