Jan 14, 2020, 3:37 PM
(From Vox) When employees of the Southern California Gas Company discovered a massive leak in the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in 2015, the nearby Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was quick to install air filters in every classroom, office and common area in all schools within five miles of the gas leak. A working paper from the New York University researcher Michael Gilraine found that students who breathed purified air in the LAUSD saw gains on math and English tests greater than those who attended schools outside of the boundary. For context, Vox compares the effects to what's been seen in classrooms with smaller class sizes.
While it's too early to draw sweeping conclusions on the basis of one study, the study adds to a growing literature on the cognitive impact of air pollution. If these results hold up to further scrutiny, researchers may have identified what’s probably the single most cost-effective education policy intervention.
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