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Title: Measuring the benefits from air pollution abatement on human health and welfare: a case study of Jacksonville, Florida

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5766417

The purpose of this study was to test benefit measures of air pollution to human health and welfare. Two market approaches, labor market (wage rate) and housing market (property value), were employed to estimate benefits from improvements in air quality. Indices of air pollution used in this study were sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) and total suspended particulate matter (TSP). Using the labor market approach as a measure of benefits from improved air quality, a Mortality Effect Model (MEM) was developed. Then, the model was utilized to quantify the estimates of the pollution mortality relationship for the city of Jacksonville. The resulting pollution related mortality function was then monetized by applying estimates of individual's willingness to pay for mortality reductions. The MEM was estimated using multiple regression analysis. TSP showed no statistically significant association with mortality rates. The significance of the estimated coefficient for the pollution variable SO/sub 2/ supported the contention that some form of air pollution bears a positive and significant relationship to mortality rates. By utilizing a willingness to pay estimate for mortality reductions, it was concluded that individuals in Jacksonville would be willing to pay a minimum of $10 million annually, in order to maintain SO/sub 2/ concentrations at a level of 1% below the average for 1972.

OSTI ID:
5766417
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English