Lead Data: Live Visualizations

Four interactive data visualizations built on peer-reviewed research. Every number is sourced. Drag the sliders. Watch what lead does to populations.

On this page

  1. IQ Bell Curve Slider - see population IQ shift at any blood lead level
  2. Crime Counterfactual - the crime wave nobody explained until now
  3. Population Grid - 100 people, animated by ADHD, IQ, and poverty impact
  4. Lead Pulse Timeline - TEL in gasoline vs. violence 18 years later, animated
IQ Distribution: What Lead Does to a Population
Drag the slider to see how blood lead level shifts the IQ bell curve of an entire population. Every point of average IQ loss is millions of people pushed below functioning thresholds.
0.0
IQ points lost (mean shift)
2.3%
Below IQ 70 (intellectual disability range)
15.9%
Below IQ 85 (low-average range)
2.3%
Above IQ 130 (gifted range)
Crime has been falling for 30 years.
You've heard this. Everyone has.
100 People at Your Blood Lead Level
Each circle is one person. See how many are pushed into each category as blood lead rises.
5 of 100 people affected at 0.65 μg/dL blood lead
Lead In. Violence Out. 18 Years Later.
Watch both tracks draw simultaneously. The bottom curve is the top curve, offset by 18 years. This is not a theory. This is the data.
↓ 18-year delay ↓
Lead-poisoned infants reach peak crime age after 18 years
▬ Tetraethyl lead added to gasoline (thousand tons/yr) ▬ Violent crime rate (per 100k)