A century of tragedy: How the car and gas industry knew about the health risks of leaded fuel but sold it for 100 years anyway

A century of tragedy: How the car and gas industry knew about the health risks of leaded fuel but sold it for 100 years anyway: A century of tragedy: How the car and gas industry knew about the health risks of leaded fuel but sold it for 100 years anyway. On the frosty morning of Dec. 9, 1921, in Dayton, Ohio, researchers at a General Motors lab poured a new fuel blend into one of their test engines. Immediately, the engine began running more quietly and putting out more power. The new fuel was tetraethyl lead. With vast profits in sight – and very few public health regulations at the time – General Motors Co. rushed gasoline diluted with tetraethyl lead to market despite the known health risks of lead. They named it “Ethyl” gas.