Timeline of Lead

Timeline of Lead
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6500 BC. Lead discovered in Turkey.

3000 BC. First significant production of lead.

500 BC-300 AD. Roman lead smelting produces dangerous emissions, Romans use lead for pipes, seasoning, and weapons.

100 BC. A Greek physician provides a clinical description of lead poisoning.

1887. US medical authorities diagnose childhood lead poisoning.

1904. Child lead poisoning linked to lead-based paints.

1909. France, Belgium and Austria ban white-lead interior paint.

1914. Pediatric lead-paint poisoning death from eating crib paint is described.

1921. National Lead Company admits lead is a poison.

1922. League of Nations bans white-lead interior paint; US declines to adopt.

1922. Public Health Service (PHS) warns of dangers of lead production, leaded fuel.

1923. Leaded gasoline goes on sale in selected markets.

1978. Lead Paint is banned for home and residential use in the US.

1986: Primary phase out of leaded gasoline is complete.

1996: Over 15,000 children tested in Maryland have elevated levels of lead in their blood.

2006: Less than 3,000 tested Maryland children have elevated lead levels.

Adapted from Originally published article in The Nation, 3/20/00