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Informational Release for Website 1/21/09 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Information: Peter Sigmann (920) 824-5193 Ralph Valatka (920) 754-509 From the SCOPE Newsletter – #72 - January 2009 - Page 7 Centre Europies d’Etudes des Polyphosphates Bruxelles, Belgium www.ceep-phosphates.org Environmental costs Economic damages of Eutrophication An estimation of the economic costs of eutrophication of freshwaters in the USA was established by examining EPA data for current observed nutrient concentrations, comparing these with reference values, assessing for a number of different uses the nutrient levels susceptible to result in loss of value, and estimating the lengths and surfaces of waters concerned. In particular, loss of recreational value (fishing and boating), lake property values, loss of biodiversity and drinking water treatment costs were assessed. US Environmental Protection Agency data for each of the 14 EPA identified "nutrient ecoregions" show that % of rivers and the % of lakes and reservoirs in which current summer nutrient concentrations (total phosphorus, total nitrogen) exceed the reference median level (taken from Smith et al. 2003 estimates of background concentrations for rivers, corrected proportionally to derive estimates for lakes). 90% of rivers in 12 out of the 14 ecoregions showed nutrient levels considerable higher than reference, on average 5.5x higher for nitrogen and 3x higher for phosphorus. For fishing and boating recreation use losses, lakes were assumed to be closed for such activities for 1-3 months (see below) if summer total phosphorus exceeded 100 µgP/l, because blue-green algal blooms were considered very likely to occur at such P concentrations. Calculations were then based on lake area, number of lakes and nutrient concentrations separately for each ecoregion. The economic loss was estimated by assuming as lost average per-trip expenditure only (travel, lodging, fuel, food, fishing bait). For lake properties, data from 37 lakes in the Mississippi River headwaters region was used to derive a relationship between Secchi depth and the value of private lakeside properties: 16% loss in property value per metre Secchi depth. This was then multiplied by the total lake frontage, using different estimates for the % of private shore ownership (see below), and the estimated loss in Secchi depth due to nutrient concentrations in each ecoregion. For biodiversity, it was estimated that 25% of threatened aquatic species in the US are in part at risk because of eutrophication, and so the total cost of eutrophication in the USA was estimated as 25% of total costs of US Federal Endangered Species Act plans addressing aquatic species. Drinking water costs were estimated based on the estimate of money spent on bottled water to avoid taste and odour problems in tap water, resulting from eutrophication (algal blooms) in surface waters used for drinking water extraction. 28% of people purchasing bottled water indicated in a 2000 survey that this was because of taste and odour problems, and it was assumed that this was attributable entirely to surface extracted water. Drinking water treatment costs were not taken into account. Recreational economic losses were estimated at 0.4 to 1.2 billion US$/year (b$), depending on whether 1 to 3 months closure were assumed. Property value losses were annualised at 0.3 – 2.8 b$/year, depending on whether 5% - 50% of lake shores were assumed to be valued private property. Biodiversity (species management) costs were estimated at 0.04 b$/year and bottled water costs at 0.8 b$/year. Underestimations The authors note that many of the calculations will result in underestimations of costs. For example, recreation losses were calculated for the months of closure assuming that activities are spread over the year, whereas in fact most water recreation is concentrated in summer when algal blooms are more likely to occur, and the estimated losses do not include equipment purchases and other lost spending. No account was taken of losses of fish, wildlife or livestock due to algal blooms. Costs of dealing with excessive plant growth were not accounted, although the authors did estimate that removal of macrophytes from 1% of principal US waterways would cost 1.2 b$ mechanically or 0.1 b$ using herbicides. The costs estimated cover US freshwaters only, and do not include estuaries or marine impacts. "Eutrophication of US freshwaters: analysis of potential economic damages", Environmental Science & Technology, 43(1), pages 12-19, 2009 http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag W. Dodds, W. Bouska, J. Eitzmann, T. Pilger, K. Pitts, A. Riley, J. Schloesser, D. Thornburgh, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA. wkdodds@ksu.edu. The Partnership for Phosphate Reduction is sponsored chiefly by Door Property Owners, Inc. It is comprised of Bayshore Property Owners, Door County Environmental Council, Door Property Owners, Friends of Toft Point, Glidden Drive Association, Lake Forest Park Association, League of Women Voters of Door County, Little Sturgeon Area Property Owners Association, Sustain Door, The Ridges Sanctuary, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin and Whitefish Bay Association. For more information on the Partnership or to receive a copy of their brochure, contact Peter Sigmann at (920) 824-5193. ######
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