亚开行-发展中国家的铅暴露和认知技能_来自印度尼西亚有毒场所的证据（英）-2025.4_37页_877kb

Lead Exposure and Cognitive Skills in a Developing Country

Evidence from Toxic Sites in Indonesia
This paper provides causal evidence that children exposed to lead at a young age in a developing country context exhibit worse cognitive outcomes. Using Indonesia as a case study, it analyzes the impact of exposure to lead-contaminated toxic sites on cognitive skills. The research combines data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) with site mapping data, employing a two-way fixed effects model to control for time trends and other confounding factors. The analysis exploits variation in distance to toxic sites and the age of first exposure to establish causality.

Key findings include substantial negative effects on cognitive skills for children exposed in utero or during early childhood. Those living within 3 kilometers of a toxic site scored approximately 0.48 standard deviations lower in numeracy and 0.36 standard deviations lower in general cognitive ability compared to those living farther away. The effect size translates to a learning penalty equivalent to about 3 years of primary schooling for children living within 3 kilometers and 1.4 years for those living 3–6 kilometers away. The impact diminishes with increasing distance from the toxic site. This is exacerbated by younger ages of exposure, with in utero exposure showing the most significant negative effects.

The paper concludes with policy implications, emphasizing the need to prevent lead exposure in developing countries. Stronger regulation and enforcement around toxic sites could mitigate these negative cognitive outcomes, thereby improving educational and economic prospects for children exposed to lead early in life.