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Surface Water Quality and Infant Mortality in China

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  • Guojun He
  • Jeffrey M. Perloff

Abstract

Surface water pollution has a significant, nonmonotonic effect on the infant mortality rate in China. As surface water quality deteriorates, the infant mortality rate first increases and then decreases. Thus, moderate levels of pollution--in the absence of good information on water quality--are the most dangerous.

Suggested Citation

  • Guojun He & Jeffrey M. Perloff, 2016. "Surface Water Quality and Infant Mortality in China," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(1), pages 119-139.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/687603
    DOI: 10.1086/687603
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Evan Plous Kresch, 2020. "The Buck Stops Where? Federalism, Uncertainty, and Investment in the Brazilian Water and Sanitation Sector," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 374-401, August.
    3. Pan, Dan & Chen, Huan & Zhang, Ning & Kong, Fanbin, 2023. "Do livestock environmental regulations reduce water pollution in China?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).
    4. Stefania Lovo & Samantha Rawlings, 2021. "Garbage in, garbage out: the impact of e-waste dumping sites on early child health," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2021-07, Department of Economics, University of Reading.
    5. Youhong Lin & Feng Liu & Peng Xu, 2021. "Effects of drought on infant mortality in China," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 248-269, February.
    6. Evan Plous Kresch & Molly Lipscomb & Laura Schechter, 2020. "Externalities and Spillovers from Sanitation and Waste Management in Urban and Rural Neighborhoods," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(3), pages 395-420, September.
    7. Li, Li & Xiao, Yun, 2023. "Beyond boiling: The effect of in utero exposure to treated tap water on childhood health," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    8. Fabio Sánchez Torres & Alexander Vega Carvajal, 2014. "Cobertura de Acueducto y Alcantarillado, Calidad del Agua y Mortalidad Infantil en Colombia, 2000-2012," Documentos CEDE 12228, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    9. Zhu, Lin & Liao, Hua & Burke, Paul J., 2023. "Household fuel transitions have substantially contributed to child mortality reductions in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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