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The Effects of Local Industrial Pollution on Students and Schools

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  • Claudia L. Persico
  • Joanna Venator

Abstract

Using detailed education data for 1996–2012 from the state of Florida, we examine whether pollution from local Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) sites affects student achievement and high-stakes accountability school rankings. Using event study and difference-in-differences designs, we compare students attending schools within one mile of a TRI site that opens or closes to students attending schools between one and two miles away. We find that being exposed to air pollution is associated with 0.024 of standard deviation lower test scores, increased likelihood of suspension from school, and increased likelihood that a school’s overall high-stakes accountability ranking will drop.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia L. Persico & Joanna Venator, 2021. "The Effects of Local Industrial Pollution on Students and Schools," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(2), pages 406-445.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:56:y:2021:i:2:p:406-445
    Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.2.0518-9511R2
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Robert Metcalfe & Sefi Roth, 2025. "Making the Invisible Visible: The Impact of Revealing Indoor Air Pollution on Behavior and Welfare," Framed Field Experiments 00819, The Field Experiments Website.
    2. Brehm, Johannes & Pestel, Nico & Schaffner, Sandra & Schmitz, Laura, 2022. "From low emission zone to academic track: Environmental policy effects on educational achievement in elementary school," Ruhr Economic Papers 980, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Wang, Qinyun & Wang, Xuebin & Yan, Qianhui & Zhang, Lvqing, 2024. "Heavy industry regulations, hospitalization, and medical expenditures: Evidence from micro-level medical records in a northeast Chinese city," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. Huang, Hai & Huang, Wei & Shi, Xinzheng & Zhang, Ming-ang, 2025. "Gender composition, social context, and academic performance in high-stakes examinations," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    5. Michelle Marcus, 2021. "Pollution at schools and children's aerobic capacity," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(12), pages 3016-3031, December.
    6. Elsner, Benjamin & Wozny, Florian, 2023. "Long-run exposure to low-dose radiation reduces cognitive performance," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    7. Fugang Gao & Huub Ploegmakers & Erwin van der Krabben & Xiaoping Shi, 2022. "Impacts of the political incentive for environmental protection on industrial land supply: Evidence from the cadre evaluation system reform in China," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(4), pages 1001-1025, August.
    8. Ludovica Gazze & Claudia Persico & Sandra Spirovska, 2024. "The Long-Run Spillover Effects of Pollution: How Exposure to Lead Affects Everyone in the Classroom," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(2), pages 357-394.
    9. Michael Gilraine & Angela Zheng, 2022. "Air Pollution and Student Performance in the U.S," NBER Working Papers 30061, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Brehm, Johannes & Pestel, Nico & Schaffner, Sandra & Schmitz, Laura, 2025. "From Low Emission Zone to academic track: Environmental policy effects on educational achievement in elementary school," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    11. Gilraine, Michael & Zheng, Angela, 2024. "JUE insight: Air pollution and student performance in the U.S," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    12. Gupta, Rahul R. & Rodriguez, Viviana, 2025. "Firms for funding: The effect of Million Dollar Plants on school finances and student achievement," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    13. Marcus, Michelle, 2025. "Testing above the limit: Drinking water contamination and test scores," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    14. Fukushima, Nanna & von Hinke, Stephanie & Sørensen, Emil N., 2024. "The Long-Term Human Capital and Health Impacts of a Pollution Reduction Programme," IZA Discussion Papers 17205, IZA Network @ LISER.
    15. von Hinke, Stephanie & Sørensen, Emil N., 2023. "The long-term effects of early-life pollution exposure: Evidence from the London smog," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    16. Metcalfe, Robert & Roth, Sefi, 2025. "Making the invisible visible: the impact of revealing indoor air pollution on behavior and welfare," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 128514, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. 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).
    18. Jennifer A. Heissel & Claudia Persico & David Simon, 2022. "Does Pollution Drive Achievement? The Effect of Traffic Pollution on Academic Performance," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(3), pages 747-776.
    19. Fagernäs, Sonja & Pelkonen, Panu & del Pozo Segura, Juan Manuel, 2025. "The Urban Learning Premium - Evidence from Peru," IZA Discussion Papers 18177, IZA Network @ LISER.
    20. 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.
    21. Lorenz Gschwent & Björn Hammarfelt & Martin Karlsson & Mathias Kifmann, 2026. "The Rise of Health Economics: Transforming the Landscape of Economic Research," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(1), pages 52-68, January.
    22. Aymeric Bellon, 2026. "Fresh Start or Fresh Water: The impact of Environmental Lender Liability," Working Papers 26-05, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    23. Persico, Claudia L., 2020. "Can Pollution Cause Poverty? The Effects of Pollution on Educational, Health and Economic Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 12965, IZA Network @ LISER.

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