Air pollution, its mortality risk, and economic impacts in Tehran, Iran

Air pollution in Tehran is widely recognized as a serious environmental challenge, posing significant threats to the health of the resident population. Improving air quality will be difficult for many reasons, including climate and topography, heavy dependence on motor vehicles for mobility, and limited resources to reduce polluting emissions. Consequently, it is useful to have information regarding the scale of the health threat and the economic value of reducing that threat. This paper integrates information on air quality, population, economic valuation, and health science to assess the most serious impact of fine particle pollution on humans, which is increased mortality risk, and provides estimates of the costs of present pollution levels, both in terms of risk and in terms of economic value relative to attaining air quality standards. Mid-range results indicate that mortality risk for the population aged 30 and over would be reduced from 8.2 per 1,000 residents annually to 7.4 per 1,000 and that the estimated annual economic benefits of this reduced risk would be dollar 378.5 million, if health-based World Health Organization-recommended annual average PM2.5 standards were met. The potential public health benefits of reducing particulate air pollution are significant, and will increase with growing population

[Prevalence of abuse of ophtalmic anesthetic drops among welders in Kerman city [2007]]

Abuse of topical anesthetic drops causes serious ocular complications. Obtaining information about the prevalence of anesthetic drops abuse among high risk groups specially welders is necessary for taking appropriate strategies for prevention. The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of anesthetic drops abuse among welders in Kerman. In this cross-sectional study, 390 welders selected randomly were asked for the consumption of anesthetic drops by using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software. In whole, 314 ones [80.5%] said that they use tetracaine and of whom 295 ones [93.9%] had used the drug frequently. Lack of time for referring to Physician, high cost of visiting by physicians, spontaneous relief of symptoms and no other therapeutic measure by physicians were the most important reasons of self-treatment in welders. In whole, 216 ones [69.3%] had heard about these drugs from their coworkers, 85 ones [27.2%] from physicians, 51 ones [16.3%] from pharmacy personnel and 9 ones [2.9%] from their family members. The prevalence of abuse was significantly higher in those with post secondary educational level [P<0.05]. Most of the subjects [97.4%] had got the drugs from pharmacies and without prescription. High prevalence of anesthetic drops abuse among welders and probably other similar jobs and educated people, their prescription by general practitioners and their selling in pharmacies without prescription requires more serious measures for prevention

Economic valuation of premature mortality and morbidity

The air in Tehran is one of the most polluted airs in the entire world. Because of the air pollution in the Great Tehran area, morbidity, mortality and symptoms emerge. This study has been conducted for the first time in Iran. According to this study the total annual direct medical costs of morbidity estimated at US$ 3258255.48.Our work also led to the estimation of an income elasticity of WTP for reduction in the probability of premature mortality,that is, an income elasticity of the value of a statistical life. The total annual mortality damage cost estimated at US Dollar 232538684.38. Contingent valuation [CV] was utilized in order to place monetary values on symptoms. By using CV, the economic value of each symptoms was estimated per person per day. The use of CV in this study required that a questionnaire be prepared and the Willingness to Pay of Tehran citizens be estimated by a random sampling. Finally the total health damage costs of air pollution in Tehran or benefits of reducing air pollution estimated at US Dollar 663776276 annually

Airport noise and residential housing valuation in southern california: a hedonic pricing approach

A large and detailed data set is used to examine the influence of airports and airport light paths on housing prices. The results indicate that individuals consider airport proximity and airport flight patterns in their housing purchases. This shows that there exist two distinct measurable price gradients that distinguish large airports from small airports. In addition, homes located under the flight path of a large airport have a price gradient that is significantly larger than homes located under the flight path of a small airport

providence of nature: valuing ecosystem services

Natural ecosystems provide an array of critical but largely undervalued goods and services. Because these are seldom included in benefit-cost calculations of land use change, the value of wild land development nearly always appears greater than protecting wild nature. The following paper introduces a theoretical framework within which environmental economists evaluate ecosystem services. This is followed an assessment of three types of ecosystem services with particular relevance to the developing world pharmaceutical drug development from native plants, the economics of non-timber product extraction, and the benefits and costs of ecotourism as a development strategy. We conclude with an overview of recent attempts to provide a global estimate of the value of nature's services