Roman Empire’s use of lead lowered IQ levels across Europe, study finds

By some estimates, the Roman empire amounted to more than 80 million people at its peak, meaning about a quarter of the world’s population could have been exposed to the lead pollution generated by mining and smelting

Apart from sanitation, medicines, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what did the Romans ever do for us? asks an exasperated Reg in Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

One answer, according to a new study, is widespread cognitive decline across Europe, courtesy of the vast quantities of lead pollution churned out by the booming metals industry that shaped the empire.