As the Wind Blows: The Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution on Mortality

41 Pages Posted: 21 Sep 2015 Last revised: 18 Jun 2023

See all articles by Michael L. Anderson

Michael L. Anderson

U.C. Berkeley - Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Date Written: September 2015

Abstract

There is strong evidence that short-run fluctuations in air pollution negatively impact infant health and contemporaneous adult health, but there is less evidence on the causal link between long-term exposure to air pollution and increased adult mortality. This project estimates the impact of long-term exposure to air pollution on mortality by leveraging quasi-random variation in pollution levels generated by wind patterns near major highways. We combine geocoded data on the residence of every decedent in Los Angeles over three years, high-frequency wind data, and Census Short Form data. Using these data, we estimate the effect of downwind exposure to highway-generated pollutants on the age-specific mortality rate by using bearing to the nearest major highway as an instrument for pollution exposure. We find that doubling the percentage of time spent downwind of a highway increases mortality among individuals 75 and older by 3.6 to 6.8 percent. These estimates are robust and economically significant.

Suggested Citation

Anderson, Michael L., As the Wind Blows: The Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution on Mortality (September 2015). NBER Working Paper No. w21578, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2663236

Michael L. Anderson (Contact Author)

U.C. Berkeley - Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics ( email )

207 Giannini Hall, MC 3310
Berkeley, CA 94720-3310
United States

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