Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in Chile

Air pollution from particulate matter 2.5 (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) may negatively impact students’ learning due to its neurotoxic effects. Therefore, we ask: What is the effect of PM<sub>2.5</sub> air pollution on the academic performance of Chilean eighth-grade students? Objective...

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Main Authors: Andrea González-Rojas, Hanns de la Fuente-Mella, Sonnia Parra, Fernando Cancino-Haas, Catalina Coiro-Nicolas, Javiera Godoy-Saavedra, Melanie Pastén-Torres, Elizabeth Verdejo-Zamora, Agustín Dotte-González, Paulo Salinas, Martina Valencia-Narbona, Oscar Achiardi, Felipe Granada-Granada, Pablo A. Lizana, Manuel A. Bravo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5474
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author Andrea González-Rojas
Hanns de la Fuente-Mella
Sonnia Parra
Fernando Cancino-Haas
Catalina Coiro-Nicolas
Javiera Godoy-Saavedra
Melanie Pastén-Torres
Elizabeth Verdejo-Zamora
Agustín Dotte-González
Paulo Salinas
Martina Valencia-Narbona
Oscar Achiardi
Felipe Granada-Granada
Pablo A. Lizana
Manuel A. Bravo
author_facet Andrea González-Rojas
Hanns de la Fuente-Mella
Sonnia Parra
Fernando Cancino-Haas
Catalina Coiro-Nicolas
Javiera Godoy-Saavedra
Melanie Pastén-Torres
Elizabeth Verdejo-Zamora
Agustín Dotte-González
Paulo Salinas
Martina Valencia-Narbona
Oscar Achiardi
Felipe Granada-Granada
Pablo A. Lizana
Manuel A. Bravo
author_sort Andrea González-Rojas
collection DOAJ
description Air pollution from particulate matter 2.5 (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) may negatively impact students’ learning due to its neurotoxic effects. Therefore, we ask: What is the effect of PM<sub>2.5</sub> air pollution on the academic performance of Chilean eighth-grade students? Objective: To compare the academic performance of eighth-grade students living in the three most PM<sub>2.5</sub>-polluted areas of Chile with those living in the three least polluted areas. Additionally, we compared the academic performance of schools in the most and least polluted areas according to their administrative dependency. Methodology: Academic performance was assessed using the results of the 2019 SIMCE test (mathematics, and language score). The most and least polluted areas were determined based on the three-year average PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels reported by the Chilean Ministry of the Environment. Results: The mathematics and language scores were lower in schools located in areas with higher pollution PM<sub>2.5</sub> with a small effect size. When analyzing the scores by administrative dependency, students from subsidized schools in highly polluted areas obtained lower scores in all tests compared to those in less polluted areas, a pattern not observed in private or municipal schools. Conclusion: These findings suggest that PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution alone may not fully explain variations in academic performance, highlighting the need to explore additional contributing factors.
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spelling doaj-art-e3297d77a8d34172bc2610581e1c871f2025-08-20T01:56:14ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-05-011510547410.3390/app15105474Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in ChileAndrea González-Rojas0Hanns de la Fuente-Mella1Sonnia Parra2Fernando Cancino-Haas3Catalina Coiro-Nicolas4Javiera Godoy-Saavedra5Melanie Pastén-Torres6Elizabeth Verdejo-Zamora7Agustín Dotte-González8Paulo Salinas9Martina Valencia-Narbona10Oscar Achiardi11Felipe Granada-Granada12Pablo A. Lizana13Manuel A. Bravo14Escuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileInstituto de Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340031, ChileGrupo de Quimiometría Aplicada, Laboratorio de Química Analítica y Ambiental, Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2340025, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileLaboratory of Animal & Experimental Morphology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2340025, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileEscuela de Kinesiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileLaboratory of Epidemiology and Morphological Sciences, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2373223, ChileGrupo de Quimiometría Aplicada, Laboratorio de Química Analítica y Ambiental, Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Valparaíso 2340025, ChileAir pollution from particulate matter 2.5 (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) may negatively impact students’ learning due to its neurotoxic effects. Therefore, we ask: What is the effect of PM<sub>2.5</sub> air pollution on the academic performance of Chilean eighth-grade students? Objective: To compare the academic performance of eighth-grade students living in the three most PM<sub>2.5</sub>-polluted areas of Chile with those living in the three least polluted areas. Additionally, we compared the academic performance of schools in the most and least polluted areas according to their administrative dependency. Methodology: Academic performance was assessed using the results of the 2019 SIMCE test (mathematics, and language score). The most and least polluted areas were determined based on the three-year average PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels reported by the Chilean Ministry of the Environment. Results: The mathematics and language scores were lower in schools located in areas with higher pollution PM<sub>2.5</sub> with a small effect size. When analyzing the scores by administrative dependency, students from subsidized schools in highly polluted areas obtained lower scores in all tests compared to those in less polluted areas, a pattern not observed in private or municipal schools. Conclusion: These findings suggest that PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution alone may not fully explain variations in academic performance, highlighting the need to explore additional contributing factors.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5474air pollutionPM<sub>2.5</sub>childrenacademic performance
spellingShingle Andrea González-Rojas
Hanns de la Fuente-Mella
Sonnia Parra
Fernando Cancino-Haas
Catalina Coiro-Nicolas
Javiera Godoy-Saavedra
Melanie Pastén-Torres
Elizabeth Verdejo-Zamora
Agustín Dotte-González
Paulo Salinas
Martina Valencia-Narbona
Oscar Achiardi
Felipe Granada-Granada
Pablo A. Lizana
Manuel A. Bravo
Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in Chile
Applied Sciences
air pollution
PM<sub>2.5</sub>
children
academic performance
title Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in Chile
title_full Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in Chile
title_fullStr Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in Chile
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in Chile
title_short Assessing the Impact of Exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> Air Pollution on the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in Chile
title_sort assessing the impact of exposure to pm sub 2 5 sub air pollution on the academic performance of schoolchildren in chile
topic air pollution
PM<sub>2.5</sub>
children
academic performance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5474
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