Lead pollution in ancient Rome likely dropped the average IQ, a study found. The research is based on an analysis of ice cores extracted from Greenland.

In today’s health headlines, what we learn about lead poisoning from ancient Rome. Also, putting the first bird flu death into perspective and the Food and Drug Administration is taking a closer look at making pulse oximeters effective for all skin tones.

The Roman Empire’s massive mining industry polluted Europe’s atmosphere with lead.

DRI scientists analyzed Arctic ice core records to reconstruct historical atmospheric lead pollution from Ancient Rome, uncovering a link between lead exposure and cognitive decline. Lead exposure is a significant public health concern,

Silver fueled the rise of the Roman Empire. But the ancient process of mining and extracting silver was also making the air thick with lead, scientists found.

The new research adds context to a long-standing debate about the role lead pollution and poisoning may have played in the collapse of the Roman Empire. Some historians have argued that Roman elites and emperors who purportedly displayed odd,

Lead exposure is responsible for a range of human health impacts, with even relatively low levels impacting the cognitive development of children. DRI scientists have previously used atmospheric pollution records preserved in Arctic ice cores to identify periods of lead pollution throughout the Roman Empire,

In ancient Rome, lead was widely used in glazed table wares, paints, cosmetics, and was intentionally ingested as well as being present in air pollution from mining and smelting.

"A 2 to 3 points lower IQ doesn't sound like much, but when you apply that to the entire European population, it's quite a lot."

It was during the period known as the Pax Romana, a time of stability in the Roman Empire that lasted for about two hundred years between 27 BC and 192 AD. Mining and smelting operations throughout Europe were likely a a source of lead contamination,