Topic:

Lead in Drinking Water and Health: Evidence from Jackson, Mississippi

Abstract:

This paper quantifies the impact of lead exposure in drinking water on the health of children and of infants at birth by exploiting a quasi-experiment in Jackson, Mississippi. This setting provides a unique context where behavioral changes to avoid lead-contaminated water are limited. Unlike more well-known lead crises like Flint, Michigan's, Jackson did not disseminate information about lead contamination for 7 months and changes in water quality were undetectable by sight or taste. Using data on child blood lead levels (BLL), we find that lead exposure increases children's BLL and the fraction of children with BLL of 3 micrograms per deciliter or above. We also find that prenatal lead exposure significantly increases the incidence of low birth weight.

Lecturer: Kendall Kennedy

Kendall Kennedy, Assistant Professor, School of Economics and Management, Mississippi State University.Research areas include labor economics, public economics, health economics. Received his PhD from Purdue University in 2018 and conducted research as a visiting scholar in the Economics Department at Brown University. His research has been published in reputable Economics journals such as Labour Economics, Journal of Population Economics, Journat of Policy Analysis and Management, Economic inquiry, etc. Presides over the National Science Section Scholarship Fund and W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Fund.

Time: May 16 ,2024 16:00-18:00

Venue: B321,ZhixinBuilding,Central Campus