The Spillover Effects of Pollution: How Exposure to Lead Affects Everyone in the Classroom

Ludovica Gazze (), Claudia Persico and Sandra Spirovska ()
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Ludovica Gazze: University of Warwick
Sandra Spirovska: University of Wisconsin-Madison

No 13133, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Evidence shows that lead-exposed children are more disruptive and have lower achievement. However, we know less about how lead-exposed children affect the learning environment of their classroom peers. We estimate these spillover effects using new data on children's blood lead levels (BLLs) matched to all education data in North Carolina. We compare siblings who attend the same school, but whose school-grade cohorts differ in the proportion of children with elevated BLLs. We find that having more lead-exposed peers is associated with lower test scores and graduation rates, increased suspensions and dropping out of school, and a decrease in college intentions.

Keywords: health; education; pollution; peers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I24 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 52 pages
Date: 2020-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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