[VLM]

Its interesting to model the biosphere hydraulically.

So lead from leaded gas drips into the barrel representing the local ecology, and the lead contaminant drips out of the biosphere at a rate that obviously must depend on local climate. Presumably lead contaminant flows into the oceans or gets buried in the ground at a rate dependent on local weather.

Yet the stats show a nearly perfect and consistent shift 20 years after the addition of lead to the environment stops. That's just biologically weird, like a part of brain development doesn't depend on local lead levels, but on the first derivative of lead levels or something.

It COULD make sense if lead only causes problems when inhaled. Not consumed in food, not drinking water, purely and exclusively inhaled. Even then, local dust storms and the like should totally mess with the supposed global 20 year effect latency.

[Terr_]

Lead reacts with other elements! If it was as un-reactive as gold, it probably wouldn't be as toxic.

Just for starters, burning leaded gasoline can involve pure Lead, Lead(II) oxide, Lead(II) bromide, and Lead(II) chloride.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraethyllead#Reactions

[edmccard]

>It COULD make sense if lead only causes problems when inhaled

I think inhalation of engine exhaust is the main "delivery method" for lead pollution from leaded gasoline.