BC Lung Assoc 2005 - "Health and Air Quality 2005 - Phase 2: Valuation of Health Impacts from Air Quality in the Lower Fraser Valley Airshed"

RWDI AIR Inc (for British Columbia Lung Association)
"Health and Air Quality 2005 - Phase 2: Valuation of Health Impacts from Air Quality in the Lower Fraser Valley Airshed"
July 15, 2005
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Relevance: high

This study estimates that a 10% reduction in fine particulate matter and ozone pollution in the Lower Fraser Valley (LFV) could produce $195+/- $122 million annually in 2010 (2003$ discounted) in health benefits. (I think these are not only direct health costs, but also use some other valuation method.)

• The study uses a linear model and assumes no thresholds, so the estimates are scalable to 1%, 20%, etc. The authors say that a 1% improvement would save $29 million (undiscounted) in 2010.
• They also note that the benefits from a given improvement in PM2.5 are about 10 times greater than the benefits from a similar improvement in ozone.

A 10% increase in ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone in the LFV will lead to the following changes in health outcomes:

                                                                                                                 

Health	2010 Mean Events	± Standard Deviation
Ozone
Annual   Mortality	3.9	1.4
Respiratory   Hospital Admissions	14.9	3.9
Net Emergency   Room Visits	57.9	15.8
Asthma   Symptom Days	22,476	12,029
Minor   Restricted Activity Days	60,047	20,269
Net Acute   Respiratory Symptom Days	113,834	29,257
PM2.5
Cardiac   Hospital Admissions	3.5	0.7
Respiratory   Hospital Admissions	4.2	0.6
Net Emergency   Room Visits	18	2.5
Annual   Mortality - Acute	6.8	3.2
Annual   Mortality - Chronic	38.2	28.2
Chronic   Bronchitis	119	43
Child Acute   Bronchitis	626	281
Asthma   Symptom Days	10,540	3,384
Restricted   Activity Days	91,831	34,225
Net Acute   Respiratory Symptom Days	132,684	50,872