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Atmospheric Pollution, Health, and Height in Late Nineteenth Century Britain

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  • Bailey, Roy E.
  • Hatton, Timothy J.
  • Inwood, Kris

Abstract

In nineteenth century Britain atmospheric pollution from coal-fired industrialization was on the order of 50 times higher than today. We examine the effects of these emissions on child development by analysing the heights on enlistment during WWI of men born in England and Wales in the 1890s. We find a strong negative relationship between adult heights and the coal intensity of the districts in which these men were observed as children in the 1901 census. The subsequent decline in atmospheric pollution likely contributed to the long-term improvement in health and increase in height.

Suggested Citation

  • Bailey, Roy E. & Hatton, Timothy J. & Inwood, Kris, 2018. "Atmospheric Pollution, Health, and Height in Late Nineteenth Century Britain," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 78(4), pages 1210-1247, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:78:y:2018:i:04:p:1210-1247_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alícia Adserà & Francesca Dalla Pozza & Sergei Guriev & Lukas Kleine-Rueschkamp & Elena Nikolova, 2021. "Height and well-being during the transition from plan to market," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 36(105), pages 77-120.
    2. Keisuke Moriya & Kenichi Tomobe, 2019. "Mining pollution and infant health in modern Japan:from village/ town statistics of infant mortality," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 19-16, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    3. Chae, Minhee & Hatton, Timothy J. & Meng, Xin, 2023. "Explaining trends in adult height in China: 1950 to 1990," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    4. Ciccarelli, Carlo & De Fraja, Gianni & Vuri, Daniela, 2021. "Effects of passive smoking on prenatal and infant development: Lessons from the past," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    5. Scott A. Carson, 2020. "Biological Differences between Late 19th and Early 20th Century Urban and Rural Residence," CESifo Working Paper Series 8523, CESifo.
    6. Pierre Levasseur & Katrin Erdlenbruch & Christelle Gramaglia, 2019. "Why do people continue to live near polluted sites? Empirical evidence from Southwestern Europe," CEE-M Working Papers hal-02277633, CEE-M, Universtiy of Montpellier, CNRS, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro.
    7. Pei Gao & Eric B. Schneider, 2021. "The growth pattern of British children, 1850–1975," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(2), pages 341-371, May.
    8. Clay, Karen & Lewis, Joshua & Severnini, Edson, 2024. "The historical impact of coal on cities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    9. Hanlon, W.Walker & Heblich, Stephan, 2022. "History and urban economics," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    10. Bailey, Roy E. & Hatton, Timothy J. & Inwood, Kris, 2023. "Surviving the Deluge: British servicemen in World War I," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    11. Richard Franke, 2022. "Poverty, pollution, and mortality: The 1918 influenza pandemic in a developing German economy," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(4), pages 1026-1053, November.
    12. Adserà, Alicia & Dalla Pozza, Francesca & Guriev, Sergei & Kleine-Rueschkamp, Lukas & Nikolova, Elena, 2019. "Transition, height and well-being," GLO Discussion Paper Series 404, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    13. Adsera, Alicia & Dalla Pozza, Francesca & Guriev, Sergei & Kleine-Rueschkamp, Lukas & Nikolova, Elena, 2019. "Transition from Plan to Market, Height and Well-Being," IZA Discussion Papers 12658, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Scott Alan Carson & Scott A. Carson, 2023. "Late 19th and Early 20th Century Urban Net Nutrition by Gender and Race," CESifo Working Paper Series 10703, CESifo.
    15. Björn Quanjer, 2024. "Height and the disease environment of children: The association between mortality and height in the Netherlands 1850–1940," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 77(2), pages 391-415, May.
    16. Scott Alan Carson, 2020. "Net nutrition, insolation, mortality, and the antebellum paradox," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 77-98, July.
    17. Pei Gao & Eric B. Schneider, 2021. "The growth pattern of British children, 1850–1975," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(2), pages 341-371, May.
    18. Bernhard, Marco & Leuch, Corina & Kordi, Maryam & Gruebner, Oliver & Matthes, Katarina L. & Floris, Joël & Staub, Kaspar, 2023. "From pandemic to endemic: Spatial-temporal patterns of influenza-like illness incidence in a Swiss canton, 1918–1924," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).

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