Grantee Research Project Results
2004 Progress Report: Contingent Valuation for Ecological and Noncancer Effects within an Integrated Human Health and Ecological Risk Framework
EPA Grant Number: R830821Title: Contingent Valuation for Ecological and Noncancer Effects within an Integrated Human Health and Ecological Risk Framework
Investigators: Hammitt, James K. , Stackelberg, Katherine von
Institution: Harvard University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: September 1, 2003 through August 31, 2006
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2003 through August 31, 2004
Project Amount: $266,632
RFA: Decision-Making and Valuation for Environmental Policy (DMVEP) (2002) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Justice
Objective:
The objectives of this research project are to: (1) contribute to the understanding of practical and credible approaches for estimating the benefits and costs of environmental policies; and (2) improve decision-making regarding environmental issues. Our approach is to develop an integrated human health and ecological risk model using data from a case study, which also incorporates economic information from two contingent valuation surveys. The case study focuses on potential human health and ecological receptor exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds via fish ingestion. The risk model integrates the results of two contingent valuation (CV) surveys to quantify the benefit of potential risk reductions under assumed exposure conditions using a publicly available database. The integrated model uses the results of a Web-based CV questionnaire to estimate willingness-to-pay of the general public to reduce potential risks associated with exposure to PCBs. These risks include reproductive effects in birds and mammals and developmental effects in children exposed in utero. The integrated risk model can be used to evaluate the economic role ecological and noncancer human health outcomes play under specific exposure conditions. The CV surveys are designed to inform the growing literature on the value individuals place on the ecological and noncancer benefits of risk reductions.
Progress Summary:
During the past year, we focused on working through methodological issues related to survey development. We also conducted an extensive literature search and evaluated this literature on the potential effects of exposure to PCBs to develop dose response models for developmental noncancer effects in humans and reproductive effects to ecological receptors. The dose response models provide the relevant endpoints used in survey development. Finally, we developed an Excel-based two-dimensional Monte Carlo modeling framework to predict dietary exposures to human and ecological receptors. We integrated the dietary exposure model with the dose response models to obtain probabilistic estimates of potential risks.
Future Activities:
We will field the survey and begin data analysis of the survey results. We also plan to integrate the results of the survey with the human health and ecological risk models.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 2 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
ecosystem protection/environmental exposure and risk, ecology and ecosystems, economics, economics and decisionmaking, exposure, monitoring/modeling, physical processes, risk assessments, social science, decisionmaking, PCB, chemical exposure, contingent valuation, decision analysis, dietary exposure, dose-response, ecological risk, ecological risk assessment, environmental stress, fish-borne toxicants, human exposure, human health risk, market valuation models, multicriteria decision analysis, multiobjective decision making, non-market valuation, pesticides, policy analysis, population-based dose response model, population model, public policy, risk assessment model, standards of value, surveys, economic, social, and behavioral science research program,, Health, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, HUMAN HEALTH, Economics & Decision Making, Ecological Risk Assessment, Health Risk Assessment, Physical Processes, Risk Assessments, Economics, Exposure, decision-making, Monitoring/Modeling, Social Science, dietary exposure, human exposue, conjoint analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, multi-objective decision making, willingness to pay, fish-borne toxicants, pesticides, non-market valuation, policy analysis, standards of value, human exposure, chemical exposure, PCB, population model, population based dose response model, public policy, surveys, environmental stress, decision analysis, market valuation models, ecological risk, contingent valuation, dose-response, human health risk, decision making, biomarkersProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.