Working Paper: NBER ID: w27996
Authors: Dhaval M. Dave; Muzhe Yang
Abstract: The recent lead-in-water crisis in Newark has renewed concerns about the crisis being a widespread problem in the nation. Using data on the exact home addresses of pregnant women residing in the city combined with information on the spatial boundary separating areas within the city serviced by two water treatment plants, we exploit an exogenous change in water chemistry that resulted in lead leaching into the tap water of one plant's service area, but not the other's, to identify a causal effect of prenatal lead exposure on fetal health. We find robust evidence of adverse health impacts, which has important policy implications in light of the substantial number of lead water pipes that remain in use as part of our aging infrastructure and the cost-benefit calculus of lead abatement interventions.
Keywords: lead exposure; drinking water; birth outcomes; public health; water treatment
JEL Codes: H75; I12; I18; Q53; Q58
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Prenatal lead exposure (J79) | Low birth weight (LBW) (J13) |
| Prenatal lead exposure (J79) | Preterm birth (J13) |
| Pequannock service area (L97) | Prenatal lead exposure (J79) |
| Pequannock service area (L97) | Low birth weight (LBW) (J13) |
| Pequannock service area (L97) | Preterm birth (J13) |
| Lead leaching from pipes (L61) | Prenatal lead exposure (J79) |