Lead does irreversible brain and organ damage to developing children. Carbon, at worst, may increase your chances for respiratory disease or lung cancer.
Nanoscale carbon, as present in exhaust, can migrate far beyond the pulmonary system into the heart, liver, brain, and even into developing fetuses and the placenta. There's significant evidence that it causes beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain, as well as macrophage migration and astrocyte inflammation.
There's a lot of evidence that it's not just the current generation, it's the future generations after the soot exposure ends that are harmed if there is in-utero exposure.
Lead does irreversible brain and organ damage to developing children. Carbon, at worst, may increase your chances for respiratory disease or lung cancer.