Abstract
We provide linear and non-parametric estimates of the causal impact of short-term exposure to polluted air on the prevalence of cough in a panel of a hundred Chinese cities. In our central estimate, which exploits plausibly-exogenous variations in the number of agricultural fires burning in the vicinity as an instrument, we find that a one standard deviation increase in airborne pollution causes a roughly 5% increase in the prevalence of cough in the affected city. Amongst pollutants the effect can be tied specifically to particulate matter (PM2.5). The results prove resilient in a series of robustness tests and falsification exercises.
Original language | English |
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Publisher | SSRN |
Number of pages | 30 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 25 Feb 2022 |
Keywords
- air pollution
- health
- Agriculture fires
- Social cost