New research from West Virginia University suggests that poor air quality may be a significant factor contributing to chronic absenteeism in schools across the United States, with particularly severe effects on young students and children of color.
The study was led by Mustahsin Ul Aziz, a doctoral student at the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and graduate research assistant at the WVU Regional Research Institute. Aziz’s work indicates that even when air quality meets federal safety standards, it can still impact students’ health and school attendance.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 15 school days per year. This level of absence can have long-term consequences for learning outcomes, graduation rates, and future success. “This isn’t just about one or two days out sick,” Aziz said. “It’s about students missing weeks of learning and we’re seeing that poor air quality is a major part of the problem.”
Aziz collaborated with faculty advisor Levan Elbakidze, professor of resource economics and management in the WVU Davis College. Their findings were published in Environmental and Resource Economics. The researchers used data from approximately 25,000 schools nationwide along with air quality reports, wind direction information, and satellite data to analyze how pollution moves.
“It is most likely that students who are chronically absent are more vulnerable to poor air quality than an average student,” Elbakidze said. “These more vulnerable students may need additional help and attention to mitigate the effects of air pollution.”
According to the study’s estimates, if every U.S. county experienced just one day of poor air quality per year, it could result in chronic absenteeism for about 54,000 students across the country. Chronic absenteeism has been linked to lower test scores, reduced retention rates, increased dropout risk, higher unemployment rates later in life, lower earnings potential, and impaired social development.
“Even single-day absences can be detrimental for children, so if they’re missing 15 days in an academic year, the effects compound,” Aziz explained.
The research also found that lower-income and minority students are disproportionately affected by chronic absenteeism related to poor air quality. “In places where housing is cheaper, pollution is often higher,” Aziz said. “Unfortunately, those tend to be the areas where disadvantaged families live, so their children are more exposed and more likely to suffer the consequences.”
Younger children—especially those in elementary school—were found to be especially vulnerable. One instance of high carbon monoxide levels resulted in nearly twice as many absences among younger children compared to high school students.
The study examined six common pollutants tracked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: carbon monoxide, lead, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter (fine inhalable particles from sources like smoke or car exhaust). Aziz noted that while previous studies have focused mainly on particulate matter or carbon monoxide alone, few have looked at all six pollutants together or connected them directly with chronic absenteeism.
Aziz developed a framework during his analysis that could potentially be adapted for use at state or district levels. He suggested practical interventions such as indoor air filtration systems, green spaces, improved ventilation systems,and taking extra precautions on days when pollution levels spike could help reduce absences due to poor air days.
“We want to build a framework schools can actually use,” Aziz said. “This is a problem we can fix, if we know where to look.”
The findings raise questions about whether current EPA definitions for a “safe” air quality day are sufficient for all populations. Aziz argued both indoor and outdoor measurements should factor into safety assessments: “If your outdoor air quality is bad, your indoor quality is going to be worse if there is less ventilation. Our figures likely represent a lower bound estimate of the true impact as they are based solely on outdoor air quality.”
West Virginia faces particular challenges regarding this issue; while national chronic absenteeism rates were around 28% during the 2022-23 school year,the rate was 34% among West Virginia students. Aziz attributed some of these disparities to historic patterns: “Low-income places like West Virginia and Appalachia historically had higher air pollution due to the mining industry,” he said. “Pollution isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s an education issue too.”
