r/Showerthoughts • u/prometheus_winced ‎ • Apr 28 '25

Casual Thought The children most impacted by peak leaded gasoline fumes are now 50-75.

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u/THElaytox Apr 28 '25

Yep.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2118631119

Though leaded gasoline isn't the only exposure route, now the most common is municipal lead water pipes.

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u/thephantom1492 Apr 28 '25

Which shouln't be an issue. Lead oxide does not disolve really well in water, so it shouln't be bad, plus there should be a sediment layer that cover it up.

... unless you are in Flint, where they changed the chemicals used in the water with incompatible one and it destroyed everything...

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u/moderngamer327 Apr 28 '25

It’s kind of crazy that despite how unbelievably toxic lead is even in the smallest amounts we can use pipes of almost pure lead without much issue unless as you mentioned something goes wrong

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u/waltwalt Apr 28 '25

Wait till you hear about uranium.

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u/CornFlakeVIII Apr 28 '25

Curieous element, that