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Updated: Jul 12, 2025

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
The long-term effects of early-life pollution exposure: Evidence from the London smog
Stephanie von Hinke1, Emil N Sørensen2
1School of Economics, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; Institute for Fiscal Studies, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
This paper uses a large UK cohort to investigate the impact of early-life pollution exposure on individuals' human capital and health outcomes in older age. We compare individuals who were exposed to the London smog in December 1952 whilst in utero or in infancy to those born after the smog and those born at the same time but in unaffected areas. We find that those exposed to the smog have substantially lower fluid intelligence and worse respiratory health, with some evidence of a reduction in years of schooling.
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