This study examines the impact of air pollution on household investment in children's education using panel data from secondary schools in Shandong Province, China. It finds that a one-unit increase in PM2.5 concentration leads to a 3.9 percentage point decrease in the probability of parental investment in children's education. Factors such as educational expectations, financial considerations, and personal well-being mediate this impact. Additionally, education level and living area moderate the relationship between air pollution and educational investment. These findings suggest that air pollution may undermine human capital development by altering parental investment behavior due to environmental conditions. The study also highlights the role of air pollution in exacerbating socioeconomic disparities through its effects on education investment. The research contributes to the literature on environmental pollution and human capital investment by providing new insights into the mechanisms through which air pollution affects education investment. The study has important implications for future research and public policy, emphasizing the need for immediate attention to air pollution as a critical environmental issue. The findings suggest that air pollution negatively affects education investment, which in turn can impact future job prospects and socioeconomic status. The study also explores the relationship between air pollution and climate change, indicating that targeted air quality policies can yield extensive benefits. The research uses an instrumental variable approach to assess the causal impact of air pollution on parental educational investment, leveraging data from NASA and government sources. The study's results are robust and show that air pollution negatively affects education investment through various channels, including education expectations, financial considerations, and personal well-being. The findings also indicate that the negative effects of air pollution on education investment are moderated by education level and living area. The study concludes that air pollution poses a significant challenge to the sustainable development of society and the accumulation of human capital.This study examines the impact of air pollution on household investment in children's education using panel data from secondary schools in Shandong Province, China. It finds that a one-unit increase in PM2.5 concentration leads to a 3.9 percentage point decrease in the probability of parental investment in children's education. Factors such as educational expectations, financial considerations, and personal well-being mediate this impact. Additionally, education level and living area moderate the relationship between air pollution and educational investment. These findings suggest that air pollution may undermine human capital development by altering parental investment behavior due to environmental conditions. The study also highlights the role of air pollution in exacerbating socioeconomic disparities through its effects on education investment. The research contributes to the literature on environmental pollution and human capital investment by providing new insights into the mechanisms through which air pollution affects education investment. The study has important implications for future research and public policy, emphasizing the need for immediate attention to air pollution as a critical environmental issue. The findings suggest that air pollution negatively affects education investment, which in turn can impact future job prospects and socioeconomic status. The study also explores the relationship between air pollution and climate change, indicating that targeted air quality policies can yield extensive benefits. The research uses an instrumental variable approach to assess the causal impact of air pollution on parental educational investment, leveraging data from NASA and government sources. The study's results are robust and show that air pollution negatively affects education investment through various channels, including education expectations, financial considerations, and personal well-being. The findings also indicate that the negative effects of air pollution on education investment are moderated by education level and living area. The study concludes that air pollution poses a significant challenge to the sustainable development of society and the accumulation of human capital.