Leaded Gas Was a Known Poison the Day It Was Invented

Leaded Gas Was a Known Poison the Day It Was Invented (2016)

In 1921, General Motors engineer Thomas Midgley Jr. discovered tetraethyl lead to stop engine knocking, ignoring its deadly toxicity. Despite early worker deaths and clear warnings from Du Pont executives, the industry pushed leaded gasoline for profit over safety. This decision exposed generations to a poison that caused neurological damage and increased crime rates, a legacy we are still cleaning up today.

"But, of course, that would be another generation’s problem."