Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 115, Issue 37, Pages 9193-9197Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809474115
Keywords
aging; cognitive decline; air pollution; gender difference; China
Categories
Funding
- Yale Macmillan Center Faculty Research Fund
- US Federal PEPPER Center Scholar Award [P30AG021342]
- NIH/National Institute on Aging [1 R03 AG048920, K01AG053408]
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2017M620653, 2018T110057]
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
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This paper examines the effect of both cumulative and transitory exposures to air pollution for the same individuals over time on cognitive performance by matching a nationally representative longitudinal survey and air quality data in China according to the exact time and geographic locations of the cognitive tests. We find that long-term exposure to air pollution impedes cognitive performance in verbal and math tests. We provide evidence that the effect of air pollution on verbal tests becomes more pronounced as people age, especially for men and the less educated. The damage on the aging brain by air pollution likely imposes substantial health and economic costs, considering that cognitive functioning is critical for the elderly for both running daily errands and making high-stake decisions.
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