Economic evaluation of health impacts due to road traffic-related air pollution

In preparation for the Transport, Environment and Health Session of the WHO Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in London (June 1999) a tri-lateral project was carried out by Austria, France and Switzerland. The project assessed the health costs of road-traffic related air pollution in the three countries using a common methodological framework. Based on the average yearly population exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 mum (PM10) and the exposure-response function for a number of different health outcomes, the number of cases attributable to (roan traffic-related) air pollution was estimated. Using the willingness-to-pay as a common methodological framework for the monetary valuation, material costs such as medical costs and loss of production or consumption as well as the intangible costs of pain, suffering, grief and loss in life quality were considered. The monetary valuation provided the following results (see Summary Table). All three countries together bear some 49'700 million EUR100 of air pollution related health costs, of which some 26'700 million EUR are road-traffic related. In each country, the mortality costs are predominant, amounting to more than 70%. The annual national per capita costs of total air pollution related health effects result in a similar range of Values for all three countries. Considering the per capita health costs due to road traffic-related air pollution, the differences between the countries ore even lower with a range from 180-540 EUR for Austria (central Value 360 EUR), 190-560 EUR for France (central value 370 EUR) and 160-470 EUR for Switzerland (central value 304 EUR).