Use of Air Purifiers in Households in Dhaka

Air pollution is one of the most serious threats to human well-being globally and especially in urban South Asia. As air pollution levels are still rising in many cities, it is important to understand what defensive investments households can make in order to reduce the damage caused by air pollution. Indoor air purifiers are one of the most widely used and promising private defensive investments to reduce air pollution’s negative impacts. However, evidence of their effects is limited. Researchers will conduct the first large-scale field evaluation of air purifiers in households in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The purpose of the project is threefold. First, to estimate the direct effects of air purifiers on health, labor supply, income, and cognition. Second, to understand the current willingness to pay for air purifiers as well as their determinants. Third, to investigate if there are negative consequences of providing private defensive investments in terms of a lower willingness to engage in solving the collective action problem of reducing air pollution at its sources.