Abstract
The Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986 had deleterious health consequences for the population of Belarus, especially for those
who were children at the time of the disaster. Using the 2003–2008 waves of the Belarusian Household Survey of Income and
Expenditure (BHSIE), we estimate the effect of radiation exposure on the health, education, and labor market outcomes among
cohorts and areas affected by the accident, utilizing the nuclear accident as a natural experiment. We find that young individuals
who came from the most contaminated areas had worse health, were less likely to hold university degrees, were less likely
to be employed, and had lower wages compared to those who were older at the time of the accident and who came from less contaminated
areas.
who were children at the time of the disaster. Using the 2003–2008 waves of the Belarusian Household Survey of Income and
Expenditure (BHSIE), we estimate the effect of radiation exposure on the health, education, and labor market outcomes among
cohorts and areas affected by the accident, utilizing the nuclear accident as a natural experiment. We find that young individuals
who came from the most contaminated areas had worse health, were less likely to hold university degrees, were less likely
to be employed, and had lower wages compared to those who were older at the time of the accident and who came from less contaminated
areas.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-20
- DOI 10.1007/s12122-011-9122-9
- Authors
- Maksim Yemelyanau, CERGE-EI, P.O. Box 882, Politických vězňů 7, Prague, 111 21 Czech Republic
- Aliaksandr Amialchuk, Department of Economics, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA
- Mir M. Ali, Department of Economics, University of Toledo & Office of Regulations, Policy and Social Science, Food & Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
- Journal Journal of Labor Research
- Online ISSN 1936-4768
- Print ISSN 0195-3613