We exploit novel data from brain-training games to examine the impacts of air pollution on a comprehensive set of cognitive skills of adults. We find that exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) does affect adult cognitive ability and that these effects are largest for those under 50, in prime working age. Our results also suggest that air pollution primarily taxes working memory and that the effects are largest for low ability users and for new tasks. These results confirm a hypothesised mechanism for the impacts of air pollution on behavior and productivity that have been documented in the literature.

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