The Effects of the Flint water crisis on the educational outcomes of school-age children.
Sci Adv
; 10(11): eadk4737, 2024 Mar 15.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38478613
ABSTRACT
In 2014, the municipal water source in Flint, Michigan was switched, causing lead from aging pipes to leach into the city's drinking water. While lead exposure in Flint children increased modestly on average, some children were exposed to high lead levels. Surveys of Flint residents show the water crisis was also associated with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. We use Michigan's administrative education data and utilize synthetic control methods to examine the impact of the crisis on Flint's school-age children. We find decreases in math achievement and increases in special needs classification, even among children living in homes with copper (rather than lead) water service lines. Low socioeconomic status students and younger students experienced the largest effects on math achievement, and boys experienced the largest effects on special needs classification. Our results point toward the broad negative effects of the crisis on children and suggest that existing estimates may substantially underestimate the overall societal cost of the crisis.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Agua Potable
/
Plomo
Límite:
Child
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Adv
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos