While this is indeed pretty dire, it&#x27;s worth bearing in mind that the entire generation who are currently running the world suffer from lead poisoning to one degree or another - atmospheric lead from gasoline additives was a major source of lead in humans until lead was withdrawn from petroleum. Add that to most paints being lead based until the last quarter of the 20th century, and you have an entire generation of brain damage.<p>The western roman empire quite likely degraded in part due to its leadership being brain damaged by lead - they added lead acetate to wine as a sweetener, and lined watercourses with lead regularly - although the former was a far greater source. <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;penelope.uchicago.edu&#x2F;~grout&#x2F;encyclopaedia_romana&#x2F;wine&#x2F;leadpoisoning.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;penelope.uchicago.edu&#x2F;~grout&#x2F;encyclopaedia_romana&#x2F;win...</a> for some reference.<p>In any case, a huge chunk of the world&#x27;s population has heavy metal poisoning, be it mercury, lead, cadmium, or all of the above - and it&#x27;s largely being ignored, and things like Flint are almost unhelpful, as it makes this look like a localised problem, when it&#x27;s actually global.