Working Paper: NBER ID: w30559
Authors: 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.
Keywords: pollution; poverty; long-term outcomes; education; health
JEL Codes: I10; I14; Q53
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Prenatal exposure to TRI pollution (Q52) | Lower family income (E25) |
| Prenatal exposure to TRI pollution (Q52) | Increased reliance on public assistance (I38) |
| Prenatal exposure to TRI pollution (Q52) | Fewer years of education (I24) |
| Prenatal exposure to TRI pollution (Q52) | Decreased high school graduation rates (I21) |
| Prenatal exposure to TRI pollution (Q52) | Increased likelihood of cognitive disabilities (I12) |
| Prenatal exposure to TRI pollution (Q52) | Summary index of long-term outcomes (I12) |