Air pollution and morbidity: evidence from internet search behavior in a panel of 100 Chinese cities

Anthony Heyes, Mingying Zhu

Research output: Working paper/PreprintPreprint

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 languageEnglish
PublisherSSRN
Number of pages30
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 25 Feb 2022

Keywords

  • air pollution
  • health
  • Agriculture fires
  • Social cost

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