Do Low Levels of Blood Lead Reduce Children's Future Test Scores?

Anna Aizer, Janet Currie, Peter Simon and Patrick Vivier

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2018, vol. 10, issue 1, 307-41

Abstract: We construct a unique individual-level dataset linking preschool blood lead levels with third grade test scores for Rhode Island children born 1997–2005. Using two identification strategies, we show for the first time that reductions of lead from even historically low levels have significant positive effects. A one-unit decrease in average blood lead levels reduces the probability of being substantially below proficient in reading (math) by 0.96 (0.79) percentage points on a baseline of 12 (16) percent. Since disadvantaged children have greater exposure to lead, lead poisoning may be one of the causes of continuing disparities in test scores.

JEL-codes: I12 I14 I18 I21 I24 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
Note: DOI: 10.1257/app.20160404
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (43)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20160404 (application/pdf)
https://www.aeaweb.org/articles/attachments?retrie ... sAK-0PzaplwXIR0gwj39 (application/zip)
https://www.aeaweb.org/articles/attachments?retrie ... J0LVvuqflwlrQKl3yMcO (application/zip)
Access to full text is restricted to AEA members and institutional subscribers.

Related works:
Working Paper: Do Low Levels of Blood Lead Reduce Children's Future Test Scores? (2016)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:10:y:2018:i:1:p:307-41

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.aeaweb.org/journals/subscriptions

Access Statistics for this article

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics is currently edited by Alexandre Mas

More articles in American Economic Journal: Applied Economics from American Economic Association Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Michael P. Albert ().