Oldest evidence of lead pollution found in ancient Greece

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Scientists have uncovered the earliest known evidence of lead pollution, dating back 5,200 years in ancient Greece
• This discovery, found in sediment cores from Greece and the Aegean Sea, pushes back the record of industrial pollution by 1,200 years
• Lead contamination resulted from smelting ores to extract silver and copper

🔭 The context: Lead pollution was initially localized but increased significantly around 146 BC when the Romans conquered Greece
• The expansion of Roman trade and the demand for silver coins drove large-scale smelting, releasing lead into the environment
• The study adds new details to existing research that had already identified high Roman-era lead levels in ice cores from Greenland

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This discovery provides the earliest evidence of human industrial impact on the environment
• It highlights how pollution has been an unintended consequence of technological and economic progress for millennia
• Understanding historical pollution trends helps scientists assess long-term environmental changes and human influence on ecosystems

⏭️ What's next: Further research may reveal even earlier instances of industrial pollution in other ancient civilizations
• Scientists could expand studies to different regions to track the global evolution of environmental contamination
• Findings may also inform modern discussions on industrial pollution and sustainable resource extraction

💬 One quote: “Lead released from smelting is the world’s first form of toxic or industrial pollution.” — Joseph Manning, Yale historian

📈 One stat: The newly discovered lead pollution in Greece is 1,200 years older than the previous record found in Serbia

Click for more news covering the latest on pollution