Leaded gas was a known poison the day it was invented (2016)
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Leaded gasoline's creators knew it was poisonous but chose it over safer, patentable alternatives.
Thomas Midgley Jr. discovered tetraethyl lead as an anti-knock additive for General Motors in 1921. Ethanol could also reduce engine knocking but was unpatentable and threatened oil companies' control. Leaded gas went into general sale despite known acute toxicity; five workers died from exposure in 1924. A 1926 public health report found no reason to ban it, dismissing low-level risks. Leaded gasoline wasn't phased out until the mid-1970s, after evidence linked childhood lead exposure to lower IQ, behavioral problems, and violent crime.
What commenters are saying
Commenters note Midgley also invented CFCs and died from his own contraption. Several point out that virtually all piston-engine general aviation aircraft in the U.S. still burn leaded 100LL fuel, with nearly 200,000 active planes. A transition to unleaded alternatives like G100UL and UL94 faces certification and distribution hurdles. Some argue the long-term effects of lead exposure explain political and social trends, though others dispute the causal link.