Economic status, air quality, and child health: Evidence from inversion episodes

Jenny Jans, Per Johansson and J. Peter Nilsson

Journal of Health Economics, 2018, vol. 61, issue C, 220-232

Abstract: Normally, the temperature decreases with altitude, allowing air pollutants to rise and disperse. During inversion episodes, warmer air at higher altitude traps air pollutants at the ground. By merging vertical temperature profile data from NASA with pollution monitors and health care records, we show that inversions increase the PM10 levels by 25% and children’s respiratory health problems by 5.5%. Low-income children are particularly affected, and differences in baseline health seem to be a key mediating factor behind the effect of pollution on the SES health gap. Policies that improve dissemination of information on inversion status may hence improve child health, either through private action or via policies that curb emissions during inversion episodes.

Keywords: Air pollution; Inversions; Environmental policy; Nonparametric estimation; Socioeconomic gradient; Inequality; Labor supply (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 J22 J24 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (76)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Economic Status, Air Quality, and Child Health: Evidence from Inversion Episodes (2014)
Working Paper: Economic Status, Air Quality, and Child Health: Evidence from Inversion Episodes (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:61:y:2018:i:c:p:220-232

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.08.002

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