Leaded gasoline ban
Leaded gasoline refers to a type of fuel that contains tetraethyl lead, which was first developed in the 1920s to improve engine performance by reducing knocking sounds in automobiles. Although it was initially embraced for its benefits, serious health risks associated with lead exposure emerged shortly after its widespread use began, with early symptoms of lead poisoning observed in those involved in its manufacture. By the 1970s, the dangers of leaded gasoline led to significant public health regulations, including a ban initiated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to its harmful effects on air quality and human health, especially among vulnerable populations like children. The regulations resulted in a dramatic reduction of lead levels in the bloodstream of the average American, with a reported decrease of over 90 percent. Despite the ban, lead poisoning from past exposure remains a global health issue, highlighting the lingering legacy of leaded gasoline. Ongoing research and increased awareness have spurred efforts to find safer alternatives and mitigate the public health risks associated with lead exposure. Understanding the history and impact of the leaded gasoline ban is crucial in addressing ongoing environmental and health challenges related to lead.
Leaded gasoline ban
Environmental policy
Date First reductions standards issued in 1973
The banning of leaded gasoline is considered one of the most effective environmental policies ever adopted in the United States. The ban is responsible for tangible health benefits, especially in reducing the symptoms of elevated blood lead levels in children.
Charles F. Kettering and Thomas A. Midgley are credited with developing leaded gasoline in the 1920’s. Kettering was vice president of research at General Motors, and Midgley was Kettering’s research assistant. The discovery of leaded gasoline was driven in part by the desire to eliminate the rackety sound (knocking) of early, inefficient automobile engines. The specific discovery that tetraethyl lead functions as a near perfect “antiknock” agent for gasoline engines is dated to December 9, 1921.
The adverse health effects of leaded gasoline were recognized soon after its invention. The first line of evidence came from symptoms of lead poisoning suffered by Midgley and his coworkers in the laboratory. Beginning in 1922, scientific experts voiced concerns about the insidious nature of lead poisoning and the potential risks to the public if tetraethyl lead were to be used widely in automobiles. Surgeon General Hugh Cumming and the Public Health Service added to the warnings, and the Bureau of Mines was commissioned to conduct a health assessment. Despite these public concerns, large-scale manufacture of tetraethyl lead commenced around 1923, and a new company, Ethyl Gasoline Corporation, was created in August, 1924, to synthesize and distribute the additive worldwide.
By the 1970’s, leaded gasoline had become ubiquitous and so had extensive lead poisoning of the general population. On January 10, 1973, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a regulation recognizing that leaded gasoline compromised the integrity of the newly required automobile emission control installations. An additional EPA regulation issued on December 6, 1973, specifically addressed the EPA’s finding that lead particle emissions from automobiles presented a significant risk to the health of urban populations, particularly children. Altogether, the ban on leaded gasoline is chronicled in at least eleven federal regulations in the 1970’s.
Impact
The ban on leaded gasoline is responsible for more than a 90 percent decrease in the blood lead concentration of the average American. Despite the apparent success of the cluster of regulations initiated in the 1970’s, lead poisoning from the legacy of leaded gasoline continued to be a public health concern worldwide in later years. However, increasing awareness about lead poisoning and intensified research into safer alternative materials have helped address the problems related to lead in later years.
Bibliography
Environmental Protection Agency. “Prohibition on Gasoline Containing Lead or Lead Additives for Highway Use.” Federal Register 61, no. 23 (1996): 3832-3838.
Rosner D., and G. Markowitz. “A ’Gift of God’? The Public Health Controversy over Leaded Gasoline During the 1920’s.” American Journal of Public Health 75 (1985): 344-352.