The project assesses the effect of photochemical oxidants on the work performance of twelve individual citrus pickers in the South Coast Air Basin of southern California. A model of the picker's decision problem is constructed in which oxidants influence the individual's picking earnings and leisure-time via short-term and reversible morbidity effect. Circumstances are specified under which this effect can be interpreted as the additional earnings the individual would have to receive in the presence of oxidants in order to make him indifferent to the presence of oxidants. In terms of absolute dollar magnitudes, compensating surpluses appear to range from less than twenty dollars to nearly two hundred dollars over an entire calendar year, given the piece-work wage rate scales and the levels of air pollution prevailing in the South Coast Air Basin during 1973 and 1974. As a percentage of what individual earnings would have been in the absence of air pollution, the dollar magnitudes range from three-tenths of one percent to nine percent. The average is about two percent. Estimates give fairly strong support to the hypothesis that air pollution impact, measured in terms of the compensating surplus, tends to increase with increasing numbers of hours worked.

"EPA-600/5-77-013." "September 1977." Project Officer: Donald G. Gillette. PB 272 934--NTIS. Includes bibliographical references (pages 92-95).