Exposure to lead speeds ageing by up to six years

Studies show that toxic metal remains in the body years after it was banned from fuel, contributing to dementia and other disorders

By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Sunday, 31 August 2008

Millions of people will grow old faster than they should because of past exposures to lead in petrol, a startling series of studies indicates.

The studies, carried out at American universities, show that the toxic metal – which has remained in the bodies of everyone born in Britain before it was finally banned from fuel at the turn of the millennium – accelerates ageing by up to six years, causing loss of memory and difficulties with language.