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Private costs and the relation between pesticide exposure and ill health: evidence from Sri Lanka

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  • Clevo Wilson

    (The University of Queensland)

Abstract

The cost of illness (COI) approach was used to estimate the private costs to Sri Lankan farmers due to ill health resulting from exposure to pesticides during handling and spraying. Field survey data showed that the costs arising from pesticide exposure are considerable. The data were then used to formulate cost of ill health scenarios for the entire country. The last section of the paper undertakes an econometric analysis to identify the factors responsible for the ill health among farmers exposed to pesticides. The Tobit regression results showed that farmers are in clear violation of the precautions prescribed for handling and spraying pesticides, a situation that calls for urgent action to implement the recommended safety procedures. If not, the costs to the country as well as to the users will be substantial, as shown by the cost estimates generated from the field survey and the limited hospital data available. The environmental externalities are also expected to be high. The results of the study can be useful for developing countries where farmers use hand sprayers, resulting in high exposure to pesticides.

Suggested Citation

  • Clevo Wilson, 2002. "Private costs and the relation between pesticide exposure and ill health: evidence from Sri Lanka," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 5(3), pages 213-227, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envpol:v:5:y:2002:i:3:d:10.1007_bf03353922
    DOI: 10.1007/BF03353922
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Clevo Wilson, 2003. "Empirical Evidence Showing The Relationships Between Three Approaches for Pollution Control," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 24(1), pages 97-101, January.
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    4. Antle, John M. & Cole, Donald C. & Crissman, Charles C., 1998. "Further evidence on pesticides, productivity and farmer health: potato production in Ecuador," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 199-207, March.
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    6. Selma J. Mushkin, 1962. "Health as an Investment," NBER Chapters, in: Investment in Human Beings, pages 129-157, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Amemiya, Takeshi, 1984. "Tobit models: A survey," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1-2), pages 3-61.
    8. Selma J. Mushkin, 1962. "Health as an Investment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(5), pages 129-129.
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