Early Exposure to Hazardous Waste and Academic Achievement: Evidence from a Case of Environmental Negligence

The legacy lead deposition in soils and its impact on cognitive function in preschool-aged children in the United States

“…It adds to the literature on the cognitive development (Sánchez (2017), Chen (2016), Fiorini and Keane (2014), Autor et al (2014), Spears (2012)) by looking at the effect of an overlooked environmental factor: exposure to lead in topsoil. Our results strengthen the associational evidence on the neurodevelopmental effects of lead exposure in children (Lanphear et al 2005, NTP 2012, AAP 2016, Geier et al 2017, Delgado et al 2018, Lee et al 2018, and provides further evidence that those detrimental effects on cognitive function are causal (Rau et al 2015, Sauve-Syed 2017, Aizer et al 2018, Billings and Schnepel 2018, Gronqvist et al 2018. Its main finding is concerning: it indicates that lead may continue to impair cognition today, both in the United States and in other countries that have significant amounts of lead in topsoil (Chen et al 2015, Tóth et al 2016.…”

Lead Exposure and Behavior: Effects on Antisocial and Risky Behavior Among Children and Adolescents

“…Investigating IQ and cognitive impairment, Ferrie, Rolf, and Troesken (2012) link lead in water to lower intelligence test scores for American army enlistees during World War II; Rau, Reyes, and Urzua (2012) study effects on academic performance in Chile; Nilsson (2009) studies the cognitive and labor market effects of the removal of lead from gasoline in Sweden; and McLaine et al (2013) and Reyes (2015) show effects on school test scores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, respectively. Investigating IQ and cognitive impairment, Ferrie, Rolf, and Troesken (2012) link lead in water to lower intelligence test scores for American army enlistees during World War II; Rau, Reyes, and Urzua (2012) study effects on academic performance in Chile; Nilsson (2009) studies the cognitive and labor market effects of the removal of lead from gasoline in Sweden; and McLaine et al (2013) and Reyes (2015) show effects on school test scores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, respectively.…”

“…Recently, a growing literature has employed non-experimental data to establish lead's adverse effects. Investigating IQ and cognitive impairment, Ferrie, Rolf, and Troesken (2012) link lead in water to lower intelligence test scores for American army enlistees during World War II; Rau, Reyes, and Urzua (2012) study effects on academic performance in Chile; Nilsson (2009) studies the cognitive and labor market effects of the removal of lead from gasoline in Sweden; and McLaine et al (2013) and Reyes (2015) show effects on school test scores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, respectively. Investigating lead and crime, social scientists have contributed to the discussion with a variety of identification strategies: Mielke and Zahran (2012) Overall, the literature suggests that there may be a substantial elasticity of crime with respect to lead, likely between 0.2 and 0.8.…”

Short-term impact of PM 2.5 on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions

“…One important strand of economic research on pollution and morbidity focuses on using observational data to estimate a causal relationship between pollution and a health or productivity outcome. Recent examples include the effect of conventional pollutants [ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter (PM)] on hospital admissions (20)(21)(22)(23), lead exposure on student test scores (24), and studies linking pollution to labor productivity in physically and cognitively demanding tasks (25)(26)(27). In this pollution/morbidity literature there is a large emphasis on minimizing threats to causal inference by using narrowly defined sources of variation to mimic a controlled experiment.…”