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

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Persico, Claudia
• 署名单位: American University; National Bureau of Economic Research; IZA Institute Labor Economics
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1520-6688
• DOI: 10.1002/pam.70091
• 发表日期: 2026-03-10
• 页码: e70091
• 关键词: air-pollution; prenatal exposure; long-run; lead; neurotoxicity; CONSEQUENCES; CHILDREN; impacts; hazards; scores

摘要

Although pollution is widespread, there is little evidence on how it affects children's long-run outcomes. Using detailed, geocoded longitudinal data, we compare siblings who were gestating before versus after a Toxic Release Inventory site opened or closed within one mile of their home. We find that children who were exposed prenatally to industrial pollution have lower wages, are more likely to live in poverty as adults, have fewer years of completed education, and score lower on a summary index of long-run outcomes than their unexposed siblings.