How much do environmental diseases and disabilities cost?

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kate Davies, MA, DPhil, Environment & Community Program, Antioch University Seattle, 2326 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121, 206 268 4811, kdavies@antiochsea.edu

Three main types of studies are currently used to estimate the health and related costs to society of environment pollution. The first type estimates the costs of multiple disease outcomes, especially in children. The first major national study in this category considered childhood asthma, cancer, neurobehavioral disorders, and lead poisoning and was published in 2002. The study estimated that the environmentally attributable cost of these diseases and disabilities was $55 billion annually. This was followed by similar studies in Massachusetts, Washington, New York and Montana. Additional studies are planned for Oregon and Minnesota.

The second type of study focuses on exposure to lead or mercury, highlighting lost earnings and productivity, and costs for special education, juvenile justice and mental retardation.

The third type of study emphasizes the hospitalization and related costs of air pollution.

These studies are important because they provide estimates of economic costs that have been traditionally externalized from environmental health policy decisions. One way of internalizing these costs is to include them in cost benefit analysis. To be useful to decision-makers, cost-benefit analysis should include information on the health and related benefits of taking action to protect environmental health, as well as the costs of doing so.

After reviewing these different ways to estimate environmentally attributable health costs, this presentation will use a recently analysis done in Washington State as a case study. The Washington report looked at adult and childhood diseases and disabilities and estimated the environmentally attributable fraction of costs at $2.7 billion annually.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the three main types of studies that have estimated the health and related costs of environmental pollution.
2. Discuss the different methods used to estimate the health and related costs of environmental pollution.
3. Articulate the importance of including the health and related costs of environmental pollution in environmental health policy decisions and cost benefit analysis

Keywords: Environmental Health, Cost Issues

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation

Cost-Benefit Analyses of Environmental Policies and Diseases

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA