Clair Patterson

Clair Patterson was an American geochemist who used lead isotopes to determine Earth’s age and later documented widespread environmental lead contamination.

Harrison Brown: Harrison Brown was an American chemist who studied the abundance of chemical elements and supervised Patterson’s doctoral work. Brown directed Patterson’s research on lead isotopes and Earth’s age.
Uranium–lead dating: Uranium–lead dating estimates geological ages from the radioactive decay of uranium isotopes into lead isotopes. Patterson used this method to calculate Earth’s age from meteorite material.
Leaded gasoline: Leaded gasoline is motor fuel containing tetraethyl lead, an additive once used to prevent engine knocking. Patterson showed that its combustion had spread lead far beyond industrial sites.
Age of Earth: The age of Earth is the time elapsed since the planet formed, estimated at about 4.54 billion years. Patterson’s 1956 calculation established the estimate still accepted today.
University of Chicago: The University of Chicago is a private research university founded in 1890 in Chicago, Illinois. Patterson conducted his doctoral research there under Harrison Brown.
George Tilton: George Tilton was an American geochemist who collaborated with Patterson on uranium–lead dating. Tilton and Patterson developed the measurements that established Earth’s age.
Lead isotopes: Lead isotopes are forms of lead with different numbers of neutrons, including stable products of uranium and thorium decay. Their proportions preserve the decay history needed for Patterson’s age calculation.
Tetraethyl lead: Tetraethyl lead is an organolead compound formerly added to gasoline to improve engine performance. Its use created the widespread airborne lead contamination Patterson investigated.
Environmental lead: Environmental lead is lead present in air, water, soil, or organisms through natural or human sources. Patterson documented how industrial activity had increased lead across the environment.
California Institute of Technology: The California Institute of Technology is a private research university in Pasadena, California. Patterson spent most of his scientific career at Caltech.

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Robert A. KehoeRelated: Patterson’s measurements exposed environmental lead burdens that Kehoe’s framework had discounted.