A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals alarming evidence that lead pollution from silver mining during the Roman Empire affected the health and cognitive capabilities of its citizens.
Lead Pollution: Ancient Romans’ Hidden Health Crisis
Lead Pollution: Ancient Romans’ Hidden Health Crisis
Recent findings suggest that lead exposure from extensive mining may have hindered intelligence in the Roman Empire.
The article text:
Around 2,000 years ago, the grandeur of the Roman Empire was accompanied by a grave environmental concern. A recent study indicates that widespread airborne lead pollution had detrimental effects on the health and intelligence of the population during this era, as detailed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Roman Empire, which enjoyed a prosperous phase known as the Pax Romana from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14, expanded its influence over Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, heavily relying on silver coinage that necessitated extensive mining operations. Joseph McConnell, an environmental scientist from the Desert Research Institute and lead researcher of the study, revealed that mining for silver produced excessive amounts of lead. “For every ounce of silver mined, approximately 10,000 ounces of lead are also released,” McConnell noted.
The health implications of lead exposure are severe, with Deborah Cory-Slechta, a neurotoxicologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, asserting that “there is no safe level of lead exposure.”
The research team detected traces of lead in ice layers from Russia and Greenland that coincided with the Roman era, suggesting that emissions from Roman mining operations lifted lead into the atmosphere, which eventually settled in Arctic regions as snow. This historical pollution could represent one of the earliest cases of industrial pollution impacting human health, raising concerns about the effects on Roman society and their cognitive development.
As historians and scientists begin to unravel the true implications of industrial practices in ancient civilizations, the legacy of the Roman Empire may not be solely about its accomplishments but also about its environmental missteps leading to human health crises.
Around 2,000 years ago, the grandeur of the Roman Empire was accompanied by a grave environmental concern. A recent study indicates that widespread airborne lead pollution had detrimental effects on the health and intelligence of the population during this era, as detailed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Roman Empire, which enjoyed a prosperous phase known as the Pax Romana from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14, expanded its influence over Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, heavily relying on silver coinage that necessitated extensive mining operations. Joseph McConnell, an environmental scientist from the Desert Research Institute and lead researcher of the study, revealed that mining for silver produced excessive amounts of lead. “For every ounce of silver mined, approximately 10,000 ounces of lead are also released,” McConnell noted.
The health implications of lead exposure are severe, with Deborah Cory-Slechta, a neurotoxicologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, asserting that “there is no safe level of lead exposure.”
The research team detected traces of lead in ice layers from Russia and Greenland that coincided with the Roman era, suggesting that emissions from Roman mining operations lifted lead into the atmosphere, which eventually settled in Arctic regions as snow. This historical pollution could represent one of the earliest cases of industrial pollution impacting human health, raising concerns about the effects on Roman society and their cognitive development.
As historians and scientists begin to unravel the true implications of industrial practices in ancient civilizations, the legacy of the Roman Empire may not be solely about its accomplishments but also about its environmental missteps leading to human health crises.
