Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Industrial pollution and human health: evidence from middle-income countries

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The hasty economic development in developing countries comes along with poorer air quality, which has severe toxicological effects on the environment and human health. This study is carried out to explore and empirically investigate the relationship between industrial pollution and health using the panel of middle-income countries (MIC) over 1990–2016. This study uses two indicators of health status, namely life expectancy and infant mortality, and two indicators of industrial pollution, namely carbon dioxide emissions and nitrous oxide emissions. This analysis is carried out using fixed effects (FE) technique on the grounds of the Hausman test. The empirical results suggest that industrial pollution tends to decrease life expectancy and increases infant mortality. In addition, this study suggests that the adverse impact of industrial pollution is greater in lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) in comparison with upper-middle-income countries (UMIC). This study recommends the programs to improve human health status and needs to focus on policies that mitigate industrial pollution burden.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. WHO fact sheet on “Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health (2 May 2018).” http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health

References

  • Afroz R, Hassan MN, Ibrahim NA (2003) Review of air pollution and health impacts in Malaysia. Environ Res 92(2):71–77

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Akram N, Padda I, Khan M (2008) The long term impact of health on economic growth in Pakistan. Pak Dev Rev 47(4):487–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Babadjouni RM, Hodis DM, Radwanski R, Durazo R, Patel A, Liu Q, Mack WJ (2017) Clinical effects of air pollution on the central nervous system; a review. J Clin Neurosci 43:16–24

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Babones SJ (2008) Income inequality and population health: correlation and causality. Soc Sci Med 66(7):1614–1626

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayati M, Akbarian R, Kavosi Z (2013) Determinants of life expectancy in Eastern Mediterranean region: a health production function. Int J Health Policy Manag 1(1):57–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger MC, Leigh JP (1989) Schooling, self-selection, and health. J Hum Resour:433–455

  • Briggs D (2003) Environmental pollution and the global burden of disease. Br Med Bull 68(1):1–24

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brook RD, Rajagopalan S, Pope CA III, Brook JR, Bhatnagar A, Diez-Roux AV, Peters A (2010) Particulate matter air pollution and cardiovascular disease: an update to the scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 121(21):2331–2378

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen S, Li Y, Yao Q (2018) The health costs of the industrial leap forward in China: evidence from the sulfur dioxide emissions of coal-fired power stations. China Econ Rev 49:68–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Correia AW, Pope CA III, Dockery DW, Wang Y, Ezzati M, Dominici F (2013) The effect of air pollution control on life expectancy in the United States: an analysis of 545 US counties for the period 2000 to 2007. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) 24(1):23

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie J, Neidell M (2005) Air pollution and infant health: what can we learn from California’s recent experience? Q J Econ 120(3):1003–1030

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie J, Neidell M, Schmieder JF (2009) Air pollution and infant health: lessons from New Jersey. J Health Econ 28(3):688–703

    Google Scholar 

  • De Keijzer C, Agis D, Ambrós A, Arévalo G, Baldasano JM, Bande S, Ghigo S (2017) The association of air pollution and greenness with mortality and life expectancy in Spain: a small-area study. Environ Int 99:170–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Dominici F, Peng RD, Bell ML, Pham L, McDermott A, Zeger SL, Samet JM (2006) Fine particulate air pollution and hospital admission for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Jama 295(10):1127–1134

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fayissa B, Gutema P (2005) Estimating a health production function for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Appl Econ 37(2):155–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Fayissa B, Gutema P (2008). A health production function for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Department of Economics and Finance Working Paper Series, August. Middle Tennessee State University

  • Gauderman WJ, Avol E, Gilliland F, Vora H, Thomas D, Berhane K, Margolis H (2004) The effect of air pollution on lung development from 10 to 18 years of age. N Engl J Med 351(11):1057–1067

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Genc S, Zadeoglulari Z, Fuss SH, Genc K (2012) The adverse effects of air pollution on our system. J Toxicol 2012

  • Gilligan AM, Skrepnek GH (2014) Determinants of life expectancy in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Health Policy Plan 30(5):624–637

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman M (1972) On the concept of health capital and the demand for health. Journal of Political economy 80(2), 223–255.

  • Jedrychowski W, Flak E (1998) Effects of air quality on chronic respiratory symptoms adjusted for allergy among preadolescent children. Eur Respir J 11(6):1312–1318

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jerumeh TR, Ogunnubi CS, Yusuf SA (2015) Industrial pollution and its attendant effects on public health in Nigeria

  • Kabir M (2008) Determinants of life expectancy in developing countries. J Dev Areas 41(2):185–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Kampa M, Castanas E (2008) Human health effects of air pollution. Environ Pollut 151(2):362–367

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keatinge WR, Donaldson GC (2004) The impact of global warming on health and mortality. South Med J 97(11):1093–1099

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kobrossi R, Nuwayhid I, Sibai AM, El-Fadel M, Khogali M (2002) Respiratory health effects of industrial air pollution on children in North Lebanon. Int J Environ Health Res 12(3):205–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenzi GL, Bonsanto F (2018) Air pollution and the nervous system: diseases of the brain caused by air pollutants and air pollution. In: Clinical handbook of air pollution-related diseases. Springer, Cham, pp 263–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Loomis D, Castillejos M, Gold DR, McDonnell W, Borja-Aburto VH (1999) Air pollution and infant mortality in Mexico City. Epidemiology:118–123

  • Majeed MT, Gillani S (2017) State capacity and health outcomes: an empirical analysis. Pak J Commer Soc Sci 11(2)

  • Mannucci PM, Franchini M (2017) Health effects of ambient air pollution in developing countries. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(9):1048

    Google Scholar 

  • Marques S, Lima ML (2011) Living in grey areas: industrial activity and psychological health. J Environ Psychol 31(4):314–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Meghisan GM, Toma D (2017) Public health management: life expectancy and air pollution. Proc Int Conf Bus Excell 11(1):111–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Messias E (2003) Income inequality, illiteracy rate, and life expectancy in Brazil. Am J Public Health 93(8):1294–1296

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohan R, Mirmirani S (2007) An assessment of OECD health care system using panel data analysis. MPRA Paper, 6122

  • Mohapatra S (2017) Health inequity and health outcome: a causal linkage study of low and middle income countries. Qual Quant 51(6):2475–2488

    Google Scholar 

  • Mondal NI, Hossain K, Ali K (2009) Factors influencing infant and child mortality: a case study of Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. J Hum Ecol 26(1):31–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Monsef A, Mehrjardi AS (2015) Determinants of life expectancy: a panel data approach. Asian Econ Financ Rev 5(11):1251–1257

    Google Scholar 

  • Narayan PK, Narayan S (2008) Does environmental quality influence health expenditures? Empirical evidence from a panel of selected OECD countries. Ecol Econ 65(2):367–374

    Google Scholar 

  • Nevalainen J, Pekkanen J (1998) The effect of particulate air pollution on life expectancy. Sci Total Environ 217(1):137–141

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nkwocha EE, Egejuru RO (2008) Effects of industrial air pollution on the respiratory health of children. Int J Environ Sci Technol 5(4):509–516

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Premaratna R, Pathmeswaran A, Chandrasekara B, Dissanayake AS, Janaka de Silva H (2002) Effects of pollution on health of residents in an industrial area in Sri Lanka. Arch Environ Health 57(6):579–583

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pritchett L, Summers LH (1996) Wealthier is healthier. J Hum Resour 31(4):841–868

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray SB, Kumar A (2015) Causal relationship between CO2 emissions, GDP & health status: high, middle & low income nations. J Radix Int Educ Res Consortium 4(6)

  • Ross CE, Wu CL (1995) The links between education and health. Am Sociol Rev 60(5):719–745

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossati A (2017) Global warming and its health impact. Int J Occup Environ Med 8(1):963–967

    Google Scholar 

  • Seaton A, Godden D, MacNee W, Donaldson K (1995) Particulate air pollution and acute health effects. Lancet 345(8943):176–178

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shahid A, Siddique HMA, Liaqat R (2019) Human health and foreign direct investment nexus: evidence from South Asia. Asian Development Policy Review, 73), 209–218

  • Siddique HMA, Majeed MT (2015) Energy consumption, economic growth, trade and financial development nexus in South Asia. Pak J Commer Soc Sci 9(2):658–682

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddique HMA, Mohey-ud-din G, Kiani A (2018) Health, education, and economic growth nexus: evidence from middle income countries. Glob Soc Sci Rev 3(4):68–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Sram RJ, Binková B, Dejmek J, Bobak M (2005) Ambient air pollution and pregnancy outcomes: a review of the literature. Environ Health Perspect 113(4):375–382

  • Stieb DM, Chen L, Eshoul M, Judek S (2012) Ambient air pollution, birth weight and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Res 117:100–111

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sulaiman C, Abdul-Rahim AS (2017) Air pollution and life expectancy in G-7 countries: an application of panel dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) approach. (Proceeding - Kuala Lumpur International Communication, Education, Language and Social Sciences 6 (KLiCELS 6), 18-19 March 2017. Hotel Bangi-Putrajaya, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia)

  • Thornton J (2002) Estimating a health production function for the US: some new evidence. Appl Econ 34(1):59–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Ussiri D, Lal R (2012) Soil emission of nitrous oxide and its mitigation. Springer Science & Business Media

  • World Development Indicators (2018) https://databank.worldbank.org/reports.aspx?

  • Yuzbekov AK, Yuzbekov MA (2015) Effects of industrial pollution on respiratory diseases. Mosc Univ Biol Sci Bull 70(1):17–22

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Hafiz Muhammad Abubakar Siddique & Adiqa K. Kiani

  2. Department of Business & Commerce, GIFT University Gujranwala, Gujranwala, Pakistan

    Hafiz Muhammad Abubakar Siddique

Authors
  1. Hafiz Muhammad Abubakar Siddique
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adiqa K. Kiani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hafiz Muhammad Abubakar Siddique.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 8 Summary of variables and data sources
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Siddique, H.M.A., Kiani, A.K. Industrial pollution and human health: evidence from middle-income countries. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 12439–12448 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07657-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07657-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation