AI Article Synopsis
- Higher exposure to water-borne lead among male WWII U.S. Army enlistees was linked to lower intelligence test scores.
- Urban residence and water pH levels were used to estimate lead exposure, with those living in areas with lower pH (6) scoring six points lower on intelligence tests compared to those in areas with neutral pH (7).
- The study suggests that increased exposure over time resulted in lower scores, highlighting a lack of awareness about the dangers of lead in water systems during that period.
Article Abstract
Higher prior exposure to water-borne lead among male World War Two U.S. Army enlistees was associated with lower intelligence test scores. Exposure was proxied by urban residence and the water pH levels of the cities where enlistees lived in 1930. Army General Classification Test scores were six points lower (nearly 1/3 standard deviation) where pH was 6 (so the water lead concentration for a given amount of lead piping was higher) than where pH was 7 (so the concentration was lower). This difference rose with time exposed. At this time, the dangers of exposure to lead in water were not widely known and lead was ubiquitous in water systems, so these results are not likely the effect of individuals selecting into locations with different levels of exposure.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2011.09.003 | DOI Listing |
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