Evaluating the health costs of oral hexavalent chromium exposure from water pollution: A case study in Taiwan

Abstract

The Wu river watershed between Taichung City and Changhua County in Taiwan has become polluted with heavy metals. The present study established a method to evaluate the health costs, including the loss of life expectancy (LLE) and medical expenditure, associated with oral exposure to Cr(VI) contamination of the water in this area. The observed differences in Cr(VI) contamination of the drinking water, soil, and crops (mainly rice) were largely due to the levels of Cr(VI) contamination in the rivers. The high level of Cr(VI) contamination in Changhua County was associated with a 60-fold increase in the rate of gastric cancer relative to that in Taichung City. LLE values of US$1337 million/year and US$1162 million/year, similar to other values associated with wastewater exposure, were obtained using the value of statistical life-year (VSLY) and value of statistical life (VSL) methods, respectively. However, the total medical costs associated with Cr(VI) contamination (US$6.45 million/year) were much lower than the LLE values and could thus be ignored. Drinking water had a lower level of Cr(VI) contamination relative to rice, and therefore had much lower associated total health costs (US$0.863 million/year vs. US$1169–1343 million/year). In conclusion, our study provides residents, workers, and government agencies with a comprehensive evaluation and important information regarding Cr(VI) contamination in polluted water, and results that can be applied to governmental cost-benefit analysis policies and measurements.