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Air Pollution and Adult Cognition: Evidence from Brain Training

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea La Nauze
  • Edson R. Severnini

Abstract

We exploit novel data from brain-training games to examine the impacts of air pollution on a comprehensive set of cognitive skills in adults. We find that exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) impairs adult cognitive function, and that these effects are largest for those in prime working age. These results confirm a hypothesized mechanism for the impacts of air pollution on workforce productivity. We also find that the cognitive effects are largest for new tasks and for those with low ability, suggesting that air pollution increases inequality in productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea La Nauze & Edson R. Severnini, 2021. "Air Pollution and Adult Cognition: Evidence from Brain Training," NBER Working Papers 28785, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28785
    Note: EEE EH LS
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    Cited by:

    1. Xuqian Ma & Michelle N. Layvant & Edward Miguel & Eric Ochieng & Ajay Pillarisetti & Michael W. Walker, 2025. "Impacts of Contemporaneous Air Pollution Exposure on Cognitive Performance in Kenya," NBER Working Papers 34557, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. 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.
    3. Clara Kögel, 2022. "The impact of air pollution on labour productivity in France," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 22020, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    4. Gazze, Ludovica & Gupta, Tanu & Huang, Allen (Weiyi) & Londono, Valentina & Saavedra, Santiago & Toma, Mattie, 2025. "Air Quality and Conferences’ Engagement," IZA Discussion Papers 18154, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Aziz, Mustahsin & Elbakidze, Levan, 2022. "Does Environmental Quality Affect Education? Evidence from air quality and school attendance in the United States," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322554, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. de Oliveira, Guilherme & Lima, Gilberto Tadeu, 2022. "Economic growth as a double-edged sword: The pollution-adjusted Kaldor-Verdoorn effect," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    7. 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.
    8. Bracht, Felix & Verhoeven, Dennis, 2025. "Air pollution and innovation," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    9. Maruyama Rentschler,Jun Erik & Leonova,Nadia, 2022. "Air Pollution and Poverty : PM2.5 Exposure in 211 Countries and Territories," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10005, The World Bank.
    10. 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).
    11. Avila-Uribe, Antonio & Roth, Sefi & Shields, Brian, 2024. "Putting Low Emission Zone (LEZ) to the Test: The Effect of London's LEZ on Education," IZA Discussion Papers 17020, IZA Network @ LISER.
    12. Hui Deng & Rui Du & Dongmei Guo & Weizeng Sun & Yuhuan Xia, 2023. "High‐stakes examinations and educational inequality: Evidence from transitory exposure to air pollution," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(3), pages 546-571, July.
    13. Singh, Tejendra Pratap & Mtenga, Erica, 2022. "Air Pollution and Student Achievement: Evidence from Africa," OSF Preprints nm9dx, Center for Open Science.
    14. Schreiber, Andrew & Maniloff, Peter, 2025. "Valuing Air Pollution’s Impact on Labor Productivity in General Equilibrium," National Center for Environmental Economics-NCEE Working Papers 368257, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
    15. Nikolai Cook, Anthony Heyes, Nicholas Rivers, 2023. "Clean Air and Cognitive Productivity: Effect and Adaptation," LCERPA Working Papers bm0137, Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis.
    16. Dang, Hai-Anh H. & Do, Minh N.N. & Nguyen, Cuong Viet, 2025. "The impacts of climate change and air pollution on children’s education outcomes: Evidence from Vietnam," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    17. Christina M. Andersen & Jørgen Brandt & Jesper H. Christensen & Lise M. Frohn & Camilla Geels & Timo Hener & Marianne Simonsen & Lars Skipper, 2024. "Air Pollution and Cognition in Children: Evidence from National Tests in Denmark," CESifo Working Paper Series 11434, CESifo.
    18. 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.
    19. Lohmann, Paul M. & Probst, Benedict & Gsottbauer, Elisabeth & Kontoleon, Andreas, 2024. "High levels of air pollution reduce team performance," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    20. Mo, Jiawei & Wu, Zenan & Yuan, Ye, 2023. "Air pollution kills competition: Evidence from eSports," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    21. Gabriele Curci & Domenico Depalo & Alessandro Palma, 2023. "The Dirtier You Breathe, The Less Safe You Are. The Effect of Air Pollution on Work Accidents," CEIS Research Paper 554, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 24 May 2023.
    22. Xinming Du, 2023. "Symptom or Culprit? Social Media, Air Pollution, and Violence," CESifo Working Paper Series 10296, CESifo.
    23. Jun Rentschler & Nadezda Leonova, 2023. "Global air pollution exposure and poverty," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • 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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