How Does Short-Term Air Pollution Exposure Influence Worker Performance? Evidence From Soccer Players in China

Through which channels, physical or cognitive, can air pollution influence worker performance? This question has not been answered in the literature. Using a unique dataset on the performance of soccer players in China, we investigate the effect of air pollution on different performance indicators that rely on different mixtures of the physical and cognitive inputs of players. We found that players’ performance indicators, especially those more related to cognitive factors, are more strongly influenced by air pollution. A one standard deviation increase in the Air Quality Index (AQI) leads to a 2.5% decrease in the number of players’ passes and a 5.1% increase in the number of fouls. However, for performance indicators that are more related to players’ physical conditions, such as running distances, no such significant impact is identified. Overall, these findings suggest that the negative impact of short-term air pollution exposure on out-door worker performance is mainly cognitive