From awful convulsions and paralysis in wildlife, to heartbreaking miscarriages in humans, the physical dangers of lead exposure are well established.
As a neurotoxin, lead has also been implicated in mental and developmental problems, including lowering IQ. A new review suggests early-life lead exposure may be leading to increased risks of criminal behavior much later in life.
Policy action to prevent lead exposure is of utmost importance," environmental health scientist Maria Jose Talayero and colleagues from the George Washington University write in their paper.
"Our research shows an excess risk for criminal behavior in adulthood exists when an individual is exposed to lead in utero or during childhood."
They found an overall link between lead exposure and the later development of aggressive or hostile traits, including criminal records. But, as the team only found 17 papers that met their criteria, focusing on people at an individual level, they could not establish the strength of this association.
Their findings, however, are in line with population-level studies, which have suggested reducing lead exposure contributed to a reduction in crime levels in the US during the 20th century.
Talayero and team note more research is needed to further explore what is happening on the individual level, but in light of lead's known biological impacts and population-level associations, the team is adamant that policymakers should be acting now.
"All of these results point to a significant association between lead exposure and hostile, antisocial, and aggressive behavior – traits that strongly correlate with later criminal behavior,"
www.sciencealert.com
per.
As a neurotoxin, lead has also been implicated in mental and developmental problems, including lowering IQ. A new review suggests early-life lead exposure may be leading to increased risks of criminal behavior much later in life.
Policy action to prevent lead exposure is of utmost importance," environmental health scientist Maria Jose Talayero and colleagues from the George Washington University write in their paper.
"Our research shows an excess risk for criminal behavior in adulthood exists when an individual is exposed to lead in utero or during childhood."
They found an overall link between lead exposure and the later development of aggressive or hostile traits, including criminal records. But, as the team only found 17 papers that met their criteria, focusing on people at an individual level, they could not establish the strength of this association.
Their findings, however, are in line with population-level studies, which have suggested reducing lead exposure contributed to a reduction in crime levels in the US during the 20th century.
Talayero and team note more research is needed to further explore what is happening on the individual level, but in light of lead's known biological impacts and population-level associations, the team is adamant that policymakers should be acting now.
"All of these results point to a significant association between lead exposure and hostile, antisocial, and aggressive behavior – traits that strongly correlate with later criminal behavior,"
Lead Exposure in Childhood Linked to Future Crimes, Study Finds
From awful convulsions and paralysis in wildlife, to heartbreaking miscarriages in humans, the physical dangers of lead exposure are well established.
www.sciencealert.com