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Low Emission Zones for Better Health: Evidence from German Hospitals

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  • Pestel, Nico

    (Maastricht University)

  • Wozny, Florian

    (German Aerospace Center DLR)

Abstract

This paper studies health effects from restricting the access of high-emission vehicles to innercities by implementing Low Emission Zones. For identification, we exploit variation in the timing and the spatial distribution of the introduction of new Low Emission Zones across cities in Germany. We use detailed hospitalization data combined with geo-coded information on the coverage of Low Emission Zones. We find that Low Emission Zones significantly reduce levels of air pollution in urban areas and that these improvements in air quality translate into population health benefits. The number of diagnoses related to air pollution is significantly reduced for hospitals located within or in close proximity to a Low Emission Zone after it becomes effective. The results are mainly driven by reductions in chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Suggested Citation

  • Pestel, Nico & Wozny, Florian, 2019. "Low Emission Zones for Better Health: Evidence from German Hospitals," IZA Discussion Papers 12545, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12545
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    1. Emilia Simeonova & Janet Currie & Peter Nilsson & Reed Walker, 2021. "Congestion Pricing, Air Pollution, and Children’s Health," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(4), pages 971-996.
    2. Malina, Christiane & Scheffler, Frauke, 2015. "The impact of Low Emission Zones on particulate matter concentration and public health," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 372-385.
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    6. Gehrsitz, Markus, 2017. "The effect of low emission zones on air pollution and infant health," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 121-144.
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    8. Hendrik Wolff, 2014. "Keep Your Clunker in the Suburb: Low‐emission Zones and Adoption of Green Vehicles," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(578), pages 481-512, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Margaryan, Shushanik, 2021. "Low emission zones and population health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    2. Laura Hospido & Carlos Sanz & Ernesto Villanueva, 2023. "Air pollution: a review of its economic effects and policies to mitigate them," Occasional Papers 2301, Banco de España.
    3. Isphording, Ingo E. & Pestel, Nico, 2021. "Pandemic meets pollution: Poor air quality increases deaths by COVID-19," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Isaksen, Elisabeth T. & Johansen, Bjørn G., 2021. "Congestion pricing, air pollution, and individual-level behavioral responses," Memorandum 1/2021, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    5. Isaksen, Elisabeth & Johansen, Bjørn G., 2021. "Congestion pricing, air pollution, and individual-level behavioural responses," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111493, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Helm, Ines & Koch, Nicolas & Rohlf, Alexander, 2023. "The effects of cash for clunkers on local air quality," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    7. Luis Sarmiento & Nicole Wägner & Aleksandar Zaklan, 2021. "Effectiveness, Spillovers, and Well-Being Effects of Driving Restriction Policies," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1947, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    8. Kronenberg, Christoph, 2020. "New(spaper) Evidence of a Reduction in Suicide Mentions during the 19th‐century US Gold Rush," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 73382, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.
    9. Wozny, Florian, 2020. "Hospital Resources: Persistent Reallocation under Price Changes," IZA Discussion Papers 13256, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Hannah Klauber & Felix Holub & Nicolas Koch & Nico Pestel & Nolan Ritter & Alexander Rohlf, 2024. "Killing Prescriptions Softly: Low Emission Zones and Child Health from Birth to School," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 220-248, May.
    11. Fischer, Martin & Karlsson, Martin & Prodromidis, Nikolaos, 2021. "Long‐term Effects of Hospital Deliveries," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 74712, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.
    12. Rohlf, Alexander & Holub, Felix & Koch, Nicolas & Ritter, Nolan, 2020. "The effect of clean air on pharmaceutical expenditures," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health; air pollution; Low Emission Zone; Germany;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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