Air Pollution and Early Childhood Outcomes: Evidence from Georgia Childcare Providers -- by Mahta Ghafarianghadim, Garth Heutel

Many effects of pollution exposure on health and education outcomes of children have been identified, but little is known about education effects on preschool-aged children. We estimate the effect of particulate matter air pollution on preschool attendance using restricted administrative data from the state of Georgia. We use thermal inversions, weather phenomena that trap pollutants, as an instrumental variable for pollution. A one-unit increase in the county-week average ambient particulate pollution level decreases attendance by around 2 percentage points. Effects seem to be larger for racial minorities and for children with working parents.