Valuing the Cancer Mortality Risk Reduction from Lowering the Arsenic Maximum Contaminant Level in New Hampshire Municipal Water Supplies

This study uses a 2018 stated preference survey to elicit a willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce the cancer morbidity and mortality risk from arsenic exposure through drinking water. Respondents who use a public water supply are willing to pay $35.43 per month for the risk reduction associated with lo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental management (New York) 2020-06, Vol.65 (6), p.725-736
Main Authors: Lemos, Scott, Halstead, John M., Mohr, Robert D., Susca, Paul, Woodward, Robert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic Pollution
Arsenic
Arsenic - analysis
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Cancer
Child
Children
Contaminants
Drinking water
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecology
Environment
Environmental Management
Forestry Management
Health risks
Households
Humans
Morbidity
Mortality
Mortality risk
Municipal water supplies
Nature Conservation
Neoplasms
New Hampshire
Public waters
Risk management
Risk reduction
Risk Reduction Behavior
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
Water Supply
Well water
Willingness to pay
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Summary:This study uses a 2018 stated preference survey to elicit a willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce the cancer morbidity and mortality risk from arsenic exposure through drinking water. Respondents who use a public water supply are willing to pay $35.43 per month for the risk reduction associated with lowering the maximum allowable level of arsenic in drinking water from 10 to a hypothetical level of 3 ppb; households on private wells are willing to pay $29.19. Respondents from households with children were willing to pay significantly more than respondents from households without children. We derive values of a statistical life (VSL) of $4.61 million and $3.48 million per household member, respectively, in households using municipal or well water. Shortly after the initial release of these findings, New Hampshire became the second state to set a maximum allowable level for arsenic below the national limit of 10 ppb.
ISSN:0364-152X
1432-1009
DOI:10.1007/s00267-020-01288-3