Valuation of cancer and microbial disease risk reductions in municipal drinking water: An analysis of risk context using multiple valuation methods

• Published in: Journal of environmental economics and management 2011-03, Vol.61 (2), p.213-226
• Main Authors: Adamowicz, Wiktor, Dupont, Diane, Krupnick, Alan, Zhang, Jing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer; Cancer risks; Death; Diseases; Drinking water; Economics; Health; Health risk assessment; Illnesses; Microbial risks; Microbial risks Cancer risks Mortality risk Morbidity risk Risk context Public health risks Value of statistical life Municipal drinking water; Microorganisms; Morbidity risk; Mortality; Mortality risk; Municipal drinking water; Public health; Public health risks; Public services; Reduction; Risk; Risk context; Studies; Valuation; Valuation methods; Value of statistical life; Water management; Water quality; Water treatment
• ISSN: 0095-0696; 1096-0449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2010.10.003

We examine the value of health risk reductions (microbial illnesses/deaths and bladder cancer illnesses/deaths) in the context of drinking water quality treatment by public systems. When we assume that combined mortality and morbidity risk reductions are equally spread in the future; our results suggest that microbial risk-reduction programs have higher value than cancer risk-reduction programs, but that mortality risk reduction values are not significantly different for cancer and microbials. However, when a 25-year cancer latency is accounted for and a 5% discount rate is used, the value of cancer mortality risk reductions exceeds the value for microbial risk reductions. We also address a number of methodological issues, including performance of alternative choice experiment estimation (CE) techniques, relationship of CE to contingent valuation results, and implications for incorporating morbidity and mortality endpoints in the same survey instrument.