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The Effects of Air Pollution on Students’ Cognitive Performance: Evidence from Brazilian University Entrance Tests

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  • Juliana Carneiro
  • Matthew A. Cole
  • Eric Strobl

Abstract

We examine the contemporaneous causal relationship between outdoor air pollution levels and student cognitive performance in Brazil’s nationwide university entrance examinations. Our analysis relies upon a unique and previously unexplored student-level data set allowing us to examine the effect of particulate matter (PM10) on students’ scores. In our main specification we construct individual-level panel data for the 2 days of exams across 3 years and apply student fixed effects to address potential endogeneity concerns. In addition, we take advantage of plausibly exogenous spatial and temporal variation in PM10 across municipalities in the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and utilize an instrumental variable approach based on wind direction. Our results suggest that air pollution negatively impacts the cognitive performance of students. We find suggestive evidence that boys may be more affected than girls, and less well-off exam takers at the bottom of the score distribution are more affected than their more privileged counterparts.

Suggested Citation

  • Juliana Carneiro & Matthew A. Cole & Eric Strobl, 2021. "The Effects of Air Pollution on Students’ Cognitive Performance: Evidence from Brazilian University Entrance Tests," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 8(6), pages 1051-1077.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jaerec:doi:10.1086/714671
    DOI: 10.1086/714671
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    Cited by:

    1. Nikolai Cook, Anthony Heyes, Nicholas Rivers, 2023. "Clean Air and Cognitive Productivity: Effect and Adaptation," LCERPA Working Papers bm0137, Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis.
    2. Camille Salesse, 2022. "Inequality in exposure to air pollution in France: bringing pollutant cocktails into the picture," CEE-M Working Papers hal-03882438, CEE-M, Universtiy of Montpellier, CNRS, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro.
    3. Timothy Halliday & Rachel Inafuku & Lester Lusher & Aureo de Paula, 2022. "VOG: Using volcanic eruptions to estimate the impact of air pollution on student learning outcomes," POID Working Papers 051, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    4. Juliana Carneiro & Matthew A. Cole & Eric Strobl, 2024. "Foetal Exposure to Air Pollution and Students' Cognitive Performance: Evidence from Agricultural Fires in Brazil," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 86(1), pages 156-186, February.
    5. Chen, Xiaoguang & Chen, Luoye & Xie, Wei & Mueller, Nathaniel D. & Davis, Steven J., 2023. "Flight delays due to air pollution in China," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    6. Shr, Yau-Huo & Hsu, Wen & Hwang, Bing-Fang & Jung, Chau-Ren, 2023. "Air quality and risky behaviors on roads," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    7. Luis Sarmiento & Adam Nowakowski, 2023. "Court Decisions and Air Pollution: Evidence from Ten Million Penal Cases in India," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 86(3), pages 605-644, November.
    8. Wen Hsu & Bing-Fang Hwang & Chau-Ren Jung & Yau-Huo Jimmy Shr, 2021. "Can Air Pollution Save Lives? Air Quality and Risky Behaviors on Roads," Papers 2111.06837, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2021.
    9. Zhenyu Yao & Wei Zhang & Xinde Ji & Weizhe Weng, 2023. "Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Cognitive Performance: New Evidence from China’s College English Test," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 85(1), pages 211-237, May.
    10. Qi He & Xinde (James) Ji, 2021. "The Labor Productivity Consequences of Exposure to Particulate Matters: Evidence from a Chinese National Panel Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-22, December.
    11. Singh, Tejendra Pratap, 2022. "Beyond The Haze: Air Pollution and Student Absenteeism - Evidence from India," OSF Preprints pcva2, Center for Open Science.

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