Two new studies of children growing up in poor, inner-city Cincinnati neighborhoods seem to have shown proof that “childhood exposure to lead is linked to a significant loss of critical brain matter and to an increased risk of criminal behavior.”

Researchers followed hundreds of children from the womb into their 20s and found an average loss of 1.2 percent in the volume of gray matter in the brain by the time they reached adulthood.

That sounds minor, but researchers at the University of Cincinnati said the losses were concentrated in brain regions responsible for critical “executive” functions, such as impulse control, emotional regulation, judgment and the anticipation of consequences. That squares with previous research linking childhood lead exposure to behavioral problems. The research found that the losses were greater - 1.7 percent - among males.

I’d say they’ve discovered some interesting findings, and maybe we all need to be a little more concerned about removing lead from our surroundings. It’s not just criminal behavior that childhood exposure to lead might be responsible for either.

Although children now generally have lower lead exposure than those in the 1980s, when these Cincinnati youths grew up, Dietrich said, “we have seen effects of lead below 5 micrograms [per deciliter].” They include attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, and conduct and cognition disorders. The federal “action” standard for medical concern remains 10 micrograms.