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Can Pollution Cause Poverty? The Effects of Pollution on Educational, Health and Economic Outcomes

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  • Claudia Persico
Abstract
Although pollution is widespread, there is little evidence about how it might harm children’s long run outcomes. Using the detailed, geocoded data that follows national representative cohorts of children born to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth respondents over time, I compare siblings who were gestating before versus after a Toxic Release Inventory site opened or closed within one mile of their home. I find that children who were exposed prenatally to industrial pollution have lower wages, are more likely to be in poverty as adults, have fewer years of completed education, and are less likely to graduate high school.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Persico, 2022. "Can Pollution Cause Poverty? The Effects of Pollution on Educational, Health and Economic Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 30559, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:30559
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    Cited by:

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    2. Jacqz, Irene, 2022. "Toxic test scores: The impact of chemical releases on standardized test performance within U.S. schools," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    3. von Hinke, Stephanie & Sørensen, Emil N., 2023. "The long-term effects of early-life pollution exposure: Evidence from the London smog," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    4. Aguilar-Gómez , Sandra & Cárdenas, Juan Camilo & Salas Díaz, Ricardo, 2024. "Environmental Justice Beyond Race: Skin Tone and Exposure to Air Pollution," Documentos CEDE 21042, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    5. Chen, Fanglin & Zhang, Xin & Chen, Zhongfei, 2023. "Behind climate change: Extreme heat and health cost," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 101-110.
    6. Rüttenauer, Tobias & Best, Henning, 2021. "Consistent Inequality across Germany? Exploring Spatial Heterogeneity in the Unequal Distribution of Air Pollution," SocArXiv 5tavs, Center for Open Science.
    7. Matthew E. Kahn & Nancy Lozano‐Gracia & Maria Edisa Soppelsa, 2021. "Pollution'S Role In Reducing Urban Quality Of Life In The Developing World," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 330-347, February.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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