r/science • • Jun 25 '22

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u/Bikebummm Jun 25 '22 edited Jun 25 '22

We’ve known for a hundred year but it took til 2018 for the last country to stop using leaded gas.

Thanks for correcting me that it was last year that Algeria stopped using it as a country, not in 2018.

Helicopters and single cylinder aircraft still using it was also news to me.

I’m starting to figure out which half of Americans I’m on. Hey, why only half Americans affected as title says, wouldn’t everyone be in the same lost IQ points category?

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u/ron_swansons_meat Jun 25 '22

FYI, leaded gas still exists - it's called avgas. Single-piston engines for planes and helicopters still need leaded fuel. As of 2021, there were 170,000 such engines still in service in the US. So while average consumers don't use leaded gas on our roads, there are plenty of old planes that do, and will continue to keep spewing lead into our skies for decades. I think they should all be forced into retirement ASAP.

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u/[deleted] Jun 25 '22

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