Air pollution has been shown to have negative health outcomes such as lower life expectancy, increased illness and hospitalization rates. This is relatively straightforward. But given that pollution can penetrate the blood flow and the circulatory system, it may even have effects on cognition.
If pollution can indeed affect cognitive performance, even in the short run, then the harm from pollution is not limited to “simple” health issues. This means that days with higher air pollution can have lower labor productivity, more injuries in the workplace, and even lower test scores on various exams taken by students.
ZeeConomics 