https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230801152856.htm

Lead exposure can cause a variety of health challenges, such as cardiac issues, kidney damage, immune system dysfunction, reproductive problems, and impaired neurodevelopmental function in children. Research has also uncovered statistical associations between lead exposure and criminal behavior, both at the level of the entire population and at the level of individual people. However, the findings of individual-level studies have been inconsistent.

To help clarify the existing evidence, Talayero Schettino and colleagues conducted a systematic review of studies that address links between individual lead exposure and crime or other antisocial behaviors. Their analysis included 17 studies, which employed a variety of methods for measuring lead exposure -- using blood, bones, or teeth -- and addressed the effects of exposure at different ages, including in the womb or early childhood, later childhood, and adolescence or adulthood.