Essays on Industrial Pollution, Regulation, and Health

This dissertation examines the effects of industrial pollution and environmental regulation on health outcomes and health-improving behaviors. It draws on quasi-experimental variation from two distinct settings to evaluate the consequences of pollution exposure and the potential for regulatory interventions to mitigate these health costs. Chapter 1 studies the impact of New Hampshire’s first statewide policy regulating Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water on mortality and healthcare utilization among residents exposed to industrial pollution. Using a difference-in-differences design that exploits proximity to polluting manufacturing facilities, I find that the PFAS regulation led to a decline in mortality and an increase in healthcare utilization and investment in preventive care. I find that these effects extend beyond the areas formally designated as contaminated, suggesting that the costs of industrial pollution and the benefits of regulation can extend beyond the boundaries defined by observed pollution and water quality violations. Chapter 2 examines the impact of mining activity on water pollution and infant mortality in India. Using global mineral price shocks as an exogenous source of variation in local mining activity, I find that infant and neonatal mortality increase in communities located downstream, though the estimates are not statistically precise. To assess how mineral price shocks affect downstream infant health through river pollution, I employ an instrumental variables strategy that uses upstream mineral price shocks to instrument for downstream exposure to river pollution. The results indicate that increased upstream mining activity worsens downstream water quality and is associated with imprecise but poorer infant health outcomes. Together, the chapters highlight the critical role of environmental regulation and spatial spillovers in shaping the health impacts of industrial activity.