Leaded petrol era ‘officially over’ as Algeria ends pump sales

UN announcement marks huge milestone for global health and our environment'

The era of leaded petrol is officially over, the UN has announced, eliminating a major threat to human and planetary health.

UN experts have called the use of the fuel, which began in 1922, a catastrophe for the environment and public health". By the 1970s, nearly all petrol produced around the world contained lead. Now the last country to use it, Algeria, has finally stopped selling it in petrol stations.