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Socioeconomic factors and water quality in California

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  • Y. Farzin
  • Kelly Grogan

Abstract

We investigate the relationships between water quality and socioeconomic factors in California at the county level for the years 1993–2006 using 24 water quality indicators coming from seven different types of water bodies. We estimate these relationships using three classes of models: the traditional per capita income-pollution level—Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC)—specifications, a more inclusive model containing main socioeconomic variables such as agricultural intensity, land use, ethnic composition, population density and educational attainment, and a model that includes the socioeconomic variables while accounting for spatial correlations too. For most water quality indicators, we do not find support for EKC specifications. For pollutants like phosphorus and total suspended solids, the level of agricultural activity is a significant determinant of water quality in California, but for other surface water pollutants commonly considered agricultural pollutants, such as ammonia and nitrate, the level of agricultural activity is not statistically significant. We find that education, ethnic composition, age structure, land use, population density, and water area are all significantly correlated with various indicators of water quality. Copyright Springer 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Y. Farzin & Kelly Grogan, 2013. "Socioeconomic factors and water quality in California," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 15(1), pages 1-37, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envpol:v:15:y:2013:i:1:p:1-37
    DOI: 10.1007/s10018-012-0040-8
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    1. George Halkos & Argyro Zisiadou, 2018. "Relating environmental performance with socioeconomic and cultural factors," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 20(1), pages 69-88, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Water quality indicators; Socioeconomic variables; EKC; Agriculture; Industry; Q53; Q56; Q58; C23;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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