Military Training Exercises, Pollution, and their Consequences for Health

Gustavo Bobonis, Mark Stabile and Leonardo Tovar

Working Papers from University of Toronto, Department of Economics

Abstract: Militaries around the world perform training exercises in preparation for war. We study the relationship between in utero exposure to military exercises (bombing) and early-life health outcomes, combining data on naval bombing exercises in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and the universe of births from 1990-2003. Using a differences-in-differences design, we find that the sudden end of bombing practices is associated with a 56-79 percent decrease in the incidence of congenital anomalies. The evidence is generally consistent with the channel of environmental pollution; increases in arsenic levels in waters surrounding the live impact area.

Keywords: infant health; military activity; environmental pollution; maternal stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I15 O1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: Unknown pages
Date: 2019-08-14
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env and nep-hea
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Related works:
Journal Article: Military training exercises, pollution, and their consequences for health (2020)
Working Paper: Military Training Exercises, Pollution, and their Consequences for Health (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tor:tecipa:tecipa-643

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