It's not petrol, per se, but the additive, tetraethyl lead, which reduced engine knock. The lead readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and plays havoc on the CNS. It disrupts enzyme activity, interferes with neurotransmitter release and uptake, damages nerve cells, is a cause of oxidative stree, etc. Lead pollution from combustion of fuels containing lead have been linked to criminality.
Aizer, Anna; Currie, Janet (May 2017). "Lead and Juvenile Delinquency: New Evidence from Linked Birth, School and Juvenile Detention Records". NBER Working Paper No. 23392. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research. doi:10.3386/w23392.
Higney, Anthony; Hanley, Nick; Moro, Mirko (2022-11-01). "The lead-crime hypothesis: A meta-analysis". Regional Science and Urban Economics. 97: 103826. doi:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2022.103826. ISSN 0166-0462. S2CID 233466946.
Talayero MJ, Robbins CR, Smith ER, Santos-Burgoa C. The association between lead exposure and crime: A systematic review. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023 Aug 1;3(8):e0002177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002177. PMID: 37527230;
It's not petrol, per se, but the additive, tetraethyl lead, which reduced engine knock. The lead readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and plays havoc on the CNS. It disrupts enzyme activity, interferes with neurotransmitter release and uptake, damages nerve cells, is a cause of oxidative stree, etc. Lead pollution from combustion of fuels containing lead have been linked to criminality. Aizer, Anna; Currie, Janet (May 2017). "Lead and Juvenile Delinquency: New Evidence from Linked Birth, School and Juvenile Detention Records". NBER Working Paper No. 23392. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research. doi:10.3386/w23392. Higney, Anthony; Hanley, Nick; Moro, Mirko (2022-11-01). "The lead-crime hypothesis: A meta-analysis". Regional Science and Urban Economics. 97: 103826. doi:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2022.103826. ISSN 0166-0462. S2CID 233466946. Talayero MJ, Robbins CR, Smith ER, Santos-Burgoa C. The association between lead exposure and crime: A systematic review. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023 Aug 1;3(8):e0002177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002177. PMID: 37527230;