A new study links childhood lead exposure, even at low levels considered safe by some standards, to a significantly increased risk of depressive symptoms by age 12. The research identifies age 8 as a particularly vulnerable period for exposure, as the brain is undergoing critical development in areas that regulate emotion and mood. The study’s longitudinal design, tracking children’s blood lead levels from before birth and linking them to later mental health assessments, provides strong evidence of a dose-response relationship with depression. The findings shatter the myth that only high-dose lead exposure is dangerous, indicating there is no safe threshold…

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