The Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Chernobyl Fallout in Finland

Abstract

I estimate the impact of low doses of radiation on school performance and income levels by exploiting regional and temporal variation in levels of radioactivity combined with variation in radiosensitivity during the foetal period. I observe asignificantly lower school performance among students exposed to higher levels of prenatal irradiation as well as a lower level of educational attainment. I also estimate the impact on income at ages 26–31. My findings align with the recent literature and confirm the findings presented in Almond et al. (2009).