Detecting community response to water quality violations using bottled water sales
| Autor: | Upmanu Lall, Shuyan Zheng, Taylor Mackay, Maura Allaire |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
National interest 0208 environmental biotechnology Social Sciences Chemical 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences water quality Residence Characteristics Water Supply Water Quality Environmental health Behavioral and Social Science medicine Humans Water Pollutants Health risk risk reduction 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Peace Multidisciplinary Nitrates Public health Safe Drinking Water Act Drinking Water health Bottled water United States Justice and Strong Institutions 020801 environmental engineering Community response Clean Water and Sanitation Order (business) Water quality Business Public Health violation Water Pollutants Chemical |
| Zdroj: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol 116, iss 42 |
| Popis: | Drinking-water contaminants pose a risk to public health. When confronted with elevated levels of contaminants, individuals can take actions to reduce exposure. Yet, few studies address averting behavior due to impaired water, particularly in high-income countries. This is a problem of national interest, given that 9 million to 45 million people have been affected by water quality violations in each of the past 34 years. No national analysis has focused on the extent to which communities reduce exposure to contaminated drinking water. Here, we present an assessment that sheds light on how communities across the United States respond to violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, using consumer purchases of bottled water. This study provides insight into how averting behavior differs across violation types and community demographics. We estimate the change in sales due to water quality violations, using a panel dataset of weekly sales and violation records in 2,151 counties from 2006 to 2015. Critical findings show that violations which pose an immediate health risk are associated with a 14% increase in bottled water sales. Generally, greater averting action is taken against contaminants that might pose a greater perceived health risk and that require more immediate public notification. Rural, low-income communities do not take significant averting action for elevated levels of nitrate, yet experience a higher prevalence of nitrate violations. Findings can inform improvements in public notification and targeting of technical assistance from state regulators and public health agencies in order to reduce community exposure to contaminants. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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