Should Socioeconomic Health Effects be Includedin Risk Assessments?

Author： Alan Eschenroeder Gregory Norris

ISSN： 1569-3430

Source： Environmental Sciences, Vol.1, Iss.1, 2004-01, pp. : 27-58

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Abstract

Most analyses of health risks incident to the adoption of a product, process or facility treat only the effects of human exposure to pollutants. A growing body of research in the social sciences suggests strong linkages between health status and the economic status of populations. This paper considers the possibility that the effects of development on income distribution and employment may influence health as much as the resultant chemical exposures. The evidence presented in support of the socioeconomic linkage indicates adverse effects of transient economic growth and ultimately favorable effects of permanent expansions. A simple case study uses the development of coal mining in northern Wyoming to compare the effects of economic change with those of air pollution on local age adjusted mortality rates. The study area embraces counties with intensive mining activity, and the control area includes neighboring counties having similar terrain and climate, but with negligible mineral industry. This first order analysis relies upon both modeled and observed data. It concludes that the two influences on health status induced by the industrialization may be of the similar magnitudes. The paper closes by addressing the methodological challenge of producing a totally prospective analysis. Input-output models that can impute changes in regional income distributions to defined industrial developments will meet one of the main research needs.