Clair Cameron Patterson, Biography Of An Air Defender

Clair Cameron Patterson was the geophysicist who, in 1953, managed to calculate the age of the Earth. Beyond that enormous achievement, this scientist was also one of the pioneers in the fight against the use of toxic materials in fuels  due to their effect on air pollution and, of course, on people’s health.

His fight for clean air for all began in 1965, a time when environmental issues had not reached the relevance that they do today. Thanks to his knowledge, Clair Cameron Patterson knew that some industrial practices were an attack on the planet and its people, so he decided not to keep silent.

Thanks to the efforts of Clair Cameron Patterson, in 1970, a law was passed in the United States known as: clean air. Also thanks to him, many environmentalists understood the high polluting power of lead in fuels and, in this way, they managed to sustain their demands in many countries of the world.

The life of Clair Cameron Patterson

Clair Cameron Patterson was born in a town called Mitchellville, in Iowa (United States), on June 2, 1922. His father was of Scottish origin and worked as a postal administration official. Despite his humble origins, this man had a great appreciation for science and instilled that inclination in his son.

Clair’s mother also highly valued the power of education. She was the one who gifted him with a chemistry set that seems to have been the germ of Patterson’s scientific bent. He studied in small schools, but his participation did not stand out too much.

Subsequently, he received a chemistry degree from Grinnell College and later a master’s degree in molecular spectroscopy. Around the same time, he married his college sweetheart, Laurie. Both he and his wife were invited to work on the Manhattan Project (atomic bomb) at the University of Chicago.

A successful career

After World War II, Clair and Laurie decided to continue their education. Patterson did a doctorate and was later hired by the California Institute of Technology in 1952. There he became one of the founders of the Department of Geochemistry and worked there until the end of his life.

Clair Cameron Patterson, together with his colleague, George Tilton, developed a method for calculating geological times based on uranium and lead. In this way, he managed to establish the probable age of the planet, which he determined to be 4,550 million years. This is considered the most important dating that exists to date and has remained unchanged since 1956.

Another of Patterson’s great contributions was discovering that there were significant levels of lead contamination on the earth’s surface. This discovery led him to wonder about the effects of such pollution on the atmosphere and on the human body. This led him to start a fierce struggle to avoid this phenomenon.

A historical struggle

Patterson determined that lead reached everyday compounds, such as gasoline and food cans, through a compound called tetraethylplan. Since then, it has been proposed to fight for the prohibition of that substance. Its main opponent was the Ethyl Corporation, the leading company in the production of lead additives.

What followed for Clair Cameron Patterson was a relentless chase. The big multinationals began to use all their power and influence so that doors were closed to the scientist everywhere. In fact, they got him denied a research contract with the United States Public Health Service.

In 1971, he was denied participation in a National Research Council panel on lead pollution in the atmosphere, even though no one in the world knew that much about the subject.

However, in 1978, he was invited to be part of that panel and was allowed to prepare a document with the measures to be taken to avoid lead contamination.

Their relentless struggle led to a reduction of 80% in American blood lead levels by the end of the century. Patterson died on December 5, 1995, and did not rest until the last day in his quest for cleaner air in the world.