To the clinic of gasoline pneumonia

Chauffeur N. 42 years old, previously not ill, complained of pulmonary hemorrhage (up to a glass), which appeared 3 hours after the ingestion of leaded gasoline into the respiratory tract through the mouth. The bleeding was repeated several times in small portions. Cough, no shortness of breath, notes chest pain.

Lead screening in children presenting to three hospitals in Lebanon

BackgroundLead damages most body organs and its effects are most profound in children. In a study in Beirut in 2003, before banning the leaded gasoline, 79% of the participants showed blood lead levels (BLLs) higher than 5 µg/dL. The prevalence of lead exposure in Lebanon after the ban on leaded gasoline has not been studied. This study assessed the BLL in Lebanese children aged 1–6 years.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals in Beirut. The children’s BLLs were tested, and their caregiver completed a questionnaire to identify subgroups at risk of exposure. Participants were provided with a WHO brochure highlighting the risks of lead.ResultsNinety children with a mean age of 3.5±1.5 years were enrolled in the study and had a mean BLL of 1.1±0.7 µg/dL, with all values being below 5.0 µg/dL, showing a marked decrease in BLL compared with the mean BLL before the ban on leaded gasoline in 2002. Having a father or a mother with a college degree (p=0.01 and p=0.035, respectively) and having a monthly household income greater than $1000 (p=0.021) were associated with significantly lower BLL. Having more rooms at home and residing close to construction sites were associated with a significantly lower BLL (p=0.001 and p=0.026, respectively). Residing in a house aged >40 years and receiving traditional remedies were associated with a significantly higher BLL (p=0.009 and p<0.0001, respectively).ConclusionBLLs have declined among Lebanese children and this could be attributed to multiple factors including the ban of leaded gasoline. It would be beneficial to conduct a larger study with a nationally representative sample to better characterise the BLL.

The Effect of Leaded Gasoline on Elderly Mortality: Evidence from Regulatory Exemptions

Leaded gasoline is still used globally for aviation and automotive racing. Exploiting regulatory exemptions and a novel quasi-experiment, we find that leaded gasoline use in racing increases ambient lead, elevated blood lead rates, and elderly mortality. The mortality estimates indicate that each gram of lead added to gasoline exceeds $1,100 in damages. Our setting allows us to rule out potential confounders, such as correlated pollutants or socioeconomic status. We provide the first causal estimates linking adult mortality to leaded gasoline, highlight the value of banning on-road leaded gasoline, and present policy-relevant cost estimates at the lowest ambient levels to date. (JEL I12, J14, L71, Q51, Q53)

Strong evidence for the continued contribution of lead deposited during the 20th century to the atmospheric environment in London of today

Although leaded gasoline was banned at the end of the last century, lead (Pb) remains significantly enriched in airborne particles in large cities. The remobilization of historical Pb deposited in soils from atmospheric removal has been suggested as an important source providing evidence for the hypothetical long-term persistency of lead, and possibly other pollutants, in the urban environment. Here, we present data on Pb isotopic composition in airborne particles collected in London (2014 to 2018), which provide strong support that lead deposited via gasoline combustion still contributes significantly to the lead burden in present-day London. Lead concentration and isotopic signature of airborne particles collected at a heavily trafficked site did not vary significantly over the last decade, suggesting that sources remained unchanged. Lead isotopic composition of airborne particles matches that of road dust and topsoils and can only be explained with a significant contribution (estimate of 32 ± 10 to 43 ± 9% based on a binary mixing model) of Pb from leaded gasoline. The lead isotopes furthermore suggest significant contributions from nonexhaust traffic emissions, even though isotopic signatures of anthropogenic sources are increasingly overlapping. Lead isotopic composition of airborne particles collected at building height shows a similar signature to that collected at street level, suggesting effective mixing of lead within the urban street canyon. Our results have important implications on the persistence of Pb in urban environments and suggest that atmospheric Pb reached a baseline in London that is difficult to decrease further with present policy measures.

Lead concentrations in antlers of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from an agricultural area in Northern Germany over a 119-year period—a historical biomonitoring study

We analyzed the lead content in antlers of 90 adult European roe bucks (Capreolus capreolus) that had been culled between 1901 and 2019 in an agricultural-dominated hunting district in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany). Antler lead values ranged between 0.2 and 10.9 mg/kg dry weight. Median lead concentration was highest after World War II, during a period (1956–1984) of rapidly increasing mass motorization and use of leaded gasoline. Lead levels in antlers decreased markedly after the phase-out of leaded gasoline, but high values were still found in some recently collected antlers. This could indicate persistent lead pollution from former use of lead additives to gasoline, other traffic-related sources, or from agricultural sources (e.g., sewage sludge, fertilizers). This study highlights the suitability of analyzing roe deer antlers for the historical monitoring of changing lead levels in the environment. By collecting antlers and providing them for study, local hunters can significantly contribute to environmental surveillance and the monitoring of environmental pollution by bone-seeking contaminants.