I remember reading how lead was used both as an artificiall sweetener to food and drinks but also in water pipes etc. Do we know how much this affected the people in Rome?
Hi, not discouraging further contributions here, but meanwhile you may be interested in some earlier posts
On Cosmos Neil Degrasse-Tyson said: "Some historians believe the widespread use of lead was a major cause of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire" - What's the evidence? - /u/talleyrayand addresses this claim
Was lead really the best choice for piping/plumbing systems in Ancient Rome? Why not metal like Copper, or etc? - featuring /u/eternalkerri
Were Roman engineers aware of water chemistry, specifically that certain water sources would corrode lead pipes? - /u/XenophonTheAthenian cites various Roman authors' comments on health concerns about lead