Lead has long been recognized as a potent neurotoxin associated with cognitive problems. Children who are exposed to lead often have lower IQ scores and behavioral troubles.

And while the use of lead in house paint was banned in 1978, and lead was phased out of automobile fuel by 1996, it’s remarkable that the use of leaded gasoline continues today.

Lead is still used in the fuel of small airplanes. The lead is added to aviation gas – known as avgas – to prevent engine knock. It’s used by about 167,000 small piston-engine aircraft, and is the last remaining leaded transportation fuel in the U.S.

Leaded avgas is now the leading contributor of airborne lead pollution in the United States. And studies have shown that people who live near or work at airports can have elevated lead levels in their blood.

Alternatives to leaded avgas do exist. A 2012 study showed that more than 80 percent of all piston-engine aircraft are capable of operating on unleaded fuel right now. But only about 100 of the nearly 20,000 airports in the U.S. offer it.

For years, advocates have been pushing to bring an end to the aviation industry’s use of leaded avgas. Last month, the Center for Environmental Health scored a big win, reaching a settlement with 30 companies that sell leaded avgas in California. The settlement forces these companies to sell the lowest leaded fuel available, warn the public about the dangers of lead exposure, and pay over a half million dollars in penalties and fees.

It’s time for a federal regulation mandating a nationwide transition away for all leaded fuels.

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Aviation fuel settlement may help phase out lingering source of U.S. lead pollution

Photo, posted July 13, 2012, courtesy of Erik Brouwer via Flickr.

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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.