Working Paper: NBER ID: w28782
Authors: Ludovica Gazze; Claudia Persico; Sandra Spirovska
Abstract: Children exposed to pollutants like lead are more disruptive and have lower achievement. However, little is known about whether lead-exposed children affect the long-run outcomes of their peers. We estimate these spillover effects using new data on preschool blood lead levels (BLLs) matched to education data for all students in North Carolina public schools. We compare siblings whose school-grade cohorts differ in the proportion of children with elevated BLLs, holding constant school and peers’ demographics. Having more lead-exposed peers is associated with lower high-school graduation and SAT-taking rates and increased suspensions and absences. Peer effects are larger for same-gendered students.
Keywords: lead exposure; spillover effects; education outcomes; peer effects; pollution
JEL Codes: I14; I24; Q52
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| lead exposure among peers (I24) | likelihood of suspension (G33) |
| lead exposure among peers (I24) | likelihood of graduating high school (I21) |
| lead exposure among peers (I24) | chronic absenteeism (J22) |
| lead exposure among peers (I24) | likelihood of dropping out of school (I21) |
| exposure to disruptive peers in middle school (C92) | long-term outcomes (I12) |