How Lead Exposure Relates to Temporal Changes in IQ, Violent Crime, and Unwed Pregnancy
Abstract
This study compares changes in children's blood lead levels in the United States with subsequent changes in IQ, based on norm comparisons for the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) given to representative national samples of children in 1984 and 1992. The CogAT norm comparisons indicate shifts in IQ levels consistent with the blood lead to IQ relationship reported by an earlier study and population shifts in average blood lead for children under age 6 between 1976 and 1991. The CogAT norm comparisons also support studies indicating that the IQ to blood lead slope may increase at lower blood lead levels. Furthermore, long-term trends in population exposure to gasoline lead were found to be remarkably consistent with subsequent changes in violent crime and unwed pregnancy. Long-term trends in paint and gasoline lead exposure are also strongly associated with subsequent trends in murder rates going back to 1900. The findings on violent crime and unwed pregnancy are consistent with published data describing the relationship between IQ and social behavior. The findings with respect to violent crime are also consistent with studies indicating that children with higher bone lead tend to display more aggressive and delinquent behavior. This analysis demonstrates that widespread exposure to lead is likely to have profound implications for a wide array of socially undesirable outcomes.
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Lead poisoning highly correlates with crime rates and out-of-wedlock pregnancy in modern North America.
“lead poisoning highly correlates with crime rates and out-of-wedlock pregnancy in modern North America154,155.”
From Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function (2009) · cites this paper as [154]
The Conclusions (p. 45) describe a striking association between childhood lead exposure and later trends in violent crime and unwed pregnancy, and the Regression Results (p. 43) report significant lead coefficients. The study examines U.S. trends, however, so it does not establish the claim for North America as a whole; its crime analysis also focuses on violent crime rather than crime generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn humans, lead poisoning is associated with reductions in PFC grey matter and with various behavioural changes that arise from PFC dysfunction, including ADHD-like attentional and impulse-control problems, and even sociopathic, irresponsible and criminal behaviours.
“In humans, lead poisoning is associated with reductions in PFC grey matter153 and with various behavioural changes that arise from PFC dysfunction, including ADHD-like attentional and impulse-control problems, and even sociopathic, irresponsible and criminal behaviours154,155.”
From Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function (2009) · cites this paper as [154]
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Research works printed but not linked: 12
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- Authors
- Nevin, R.
- Affiliations
- ICF International (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- Nevin, Rick
- Venue
- Environmental Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2000-05
- Volume
- 83
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-22
- ISSN
- 0013-9351 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2097689503
- Cited by
- 365
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 5.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Environmental Justice and Health Disparities
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Heavy metals in environment
- Keywords
- lead exposure, blood lead levels, children, IQ, violent crime, unmarried pregnancy, homicide rates, bone lead, cognitive ability, social behavior, temporal trends
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Environmental Exposure, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Intelligence Tests, Lead, Pregnancy, Regression Analysis, Violence, Marital Status, Lead Poisoning, Nervous System, Childhood
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