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Lead Water Pipes and Infant Mortality at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

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  • Werner Troesken

Abstract

In 1897, about half of all American municipalities used lead pipes to distribute water. Employing data from Massachusetts, this paper compares infant death rates in cities that used lead water pipes to rates in cities that used nonlead pipes. In the average town in 1900, the use of lead pipes increased infant mortality by 25 to 50 percent. However, in cities using new pipes and distributing acidic water, lead pipes increased infant mortality three- to four-fold. Qualitative evidence supports the econometric results and indicates the adverse effects of lead extended beyond Massachusetts.

Suggested Citation

  • Werner Troesken, 2008. "Lead Water Pipes and Infant Mortality at the Turn of the Twentieth Century," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(3), pages 553-575.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:43:y:2008:i:3:p:553-575
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    Cited by:

    1. Tatsuki Inoue & Kota Ogasawara, 2018. "Chain effects of clean water: The Mills-Reincke phenomenon in early twentieth-century Japan," Papers 1805.00875, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2019.
    2. Karen Clay & Werner Troesken & Michael Haines, 2014. "Lead and Mortality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 96(3), pages 458-470, July.
    3. Joshua Graff Zivin & Matthew Neidell, 2013. "Environment, Health, and Human Capital," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 51(3), pages 689-730, September.
    4. Feigenbaum, James J. & Muller, Christopher, 2016. "Lead exposure and violent crime in the early twentieth century," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 51-86.
    5. Knutsson, Daniel, 2017. "Water Improvement and Health: Historical Evidence on the Effect of Filtering Water on Urban Mortality," Research Papers in Economics 2017:2, Stockholm University, Department of Economics.
    6. Daniel S. Grossman & David J.G. Slusky, 2019. "The Impact of the Flint Water Crisis on Fertility," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(6), pages 2005-2031, December.
    7. Meyers, Keith A., 2017. "In the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud: Nuclear Testing, Radioactive Fallout and Damage to U.S. Agriculture," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258121, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Dave, Dhaval M. & Yang, Muzhe, 2022. "Lead in drinking water and birth outcomes: A tale of two water treatment plants," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Adam Theising, 2019. "Lead Pipes, Prescriptive Policy and Property Values," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(3), pages 1355-1382, November.
    10. Stephen B. Billings & Kevin T. Schnepel, 2018. "Life after Lead: Effects of Early Interventions for Children Exposed to Lead," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 315-344, July.
    11. Katherine Eriksson & Gregory T. Niemesh & Melissa Thomasson, 2018. "Revising Infant Mortality Rates for the Early Twentieth Century United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2001-2024, December.
    12. Hanlon, W.Walker & Heblich, Stephan, 2022. "History and urban economics," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    13. Deiana, Claudio & Giua, Ludovica, 2023. "This site is closed! The effect of decommissioning mining waste facilities on mortality in the long run," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    14. Federico Curci & Federico Masera, 2018. "Flight from urban blight: lead poisoning, crime and suburbanization," Working Papers 2018/09, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    15. Gharad Bryan & Edward Glaeser & Nick Tsivanidis, 2019. "Cities in the Developing World," NBER Working Papers 26390, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Xuemeng Sun & Xiaoping Li & Dongying Liu & Tao Yang & Yanan Zhao & Ting Wu & Yue Cai & Yuwei Ai & Xu Zhang & Jiwen Wang & Rui Yang & Hongtao Yu & Howard W. Mielke, 2018. "Use of a Survey to Assess the Environmental Exposure and Family Perception to Lead in Children (<6 Years) in Four Valley Cities, Northwestern China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, April.
    17. Mark A.S. Laidlaw & Gabriel M. Filippelli & Richard C. Sadler & Christopher R. Gonzales & Andrew S. Ball & Howard W. Mielke, 2016. "Children’s Blood Lead Seasonality in Flint, Michigan (USA), and Soil-Sourced Lead Hazard Risks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, March.
    18. Knutsson, Daniel, 2020. "The Effect of Water Filtration on Cholera Mortality," Working Paper Series 1346, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.

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