Abstract
The environmental pollution problem is becoming a critical issue in America. This research seeks to analyze the regional disparities in dynamic inefficiencies and attempts to explain the causes of inefficiency, health, accounting economic and health-related aspects. It is realized that after accounting for health impacts and environmental pollution, the dynamic inefficiency of the studied regions reduced. This outcome holds for both provincial and national levels. The results, therefore, implied that government strategies to develop social prosperity should focus on increasing private medical expenses and foreign direct investment.
Introduction
Over the past few decades, the rate of environmental pollution has significantly intensified, which progressively attracted the attention of countries (Karnosky, 2007). Recently, America has experienced dramatic economic growth. However, this development has been symbolized by frightening and at times unknown disparities in development across different regions, between urban and rural areas, or even areas within the same state. Due to the differences in population and physical geography features, the rural areas have fallen behind the urban areas concerning both economic and social growth. This disparity has predominantly broadened since the 1990s. Furthermore, the foreign direct investment has offered remarkable aids to development.
Environmental pollution is linked to rapid industrial development, with the significant pollutants being wastewater discharge and waste gas emission. Air pollution leads to damage to a range of aspects of human health including respiratory, immune and cardiovascular systems. Also, it has led to an increased risk of lung cancer and lousy birth outcomes. As a result, environmental pollution is regarded as a critical social problem in the United States.
Air Pollution
Presently, pollution levels in most parts of the United States are above national air quality standards. Although concentrations of particle pollutions along with ground-level ozone pollution have recorded lower levels compared to the past years. These levels are harmful in most parts of the country. Both pollutants are the outcome of emissions from various causes and travel long distances and through state lines (Levinson, 2009). A wide-ranging organization of scientific data indicates that short-term and long-term contracts with fine particle pollution can lead to harmful impacts on the cardiovascular system and premature death. On the hand, ozone can result in an intensified cause of short breath, asthma attacks, and sometimes cause lasting lung damage through long-term exposure.
The Environmental Protection Agency is working hand in hand with states on determining where and the frequency of unhealthy peaks of nitrogen dioxide and Sulphur dioxide occur (Popp, 2006). Both pollutants may lead to several harmful respiratory effects including adverse asthma symptoms related to frequent emergency department check-ins and hospital admissions for respiratory infections. These pollutants are byproducts of fossil fuel combustion, and they both cause environmental damage. Airborne lead pollution, on the other hand, is regarded as a national health matter before the Environmental Protection Agency eliminated lead in motor vehicle petrol under the Clean Air Act authority. This is because it presently meets federal air quality except for regions near large lead-emitting manufacturing facilities. Lead is related to neurological effects in children, lowered IQ and learning deficits, behavioral problems, and heart diseases and high blood pressure in adults.
Water pollution
Water pollution is linked to harm to human wellbeing. Consuming water with high concentrations of bacteria will intensify the risk of getting infectious diseases such as dysentery and cholera. These infections tend to be more popular among poor rural states of America. This is due to poor water sanitation within these regions (Karnosky, 2007). In 2015, approximately 21 million Americans representing 6.45 percent of the total population depended on community water schemes that abused health-based quality measures, as per the study, published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A research done by Allaire Maura, an urban planner at the California-Irvine University, studied nearly 17,900 community water systems between 1983 and 2015. The research findings indicated that the rate of violations of health-based quality standards varied from year to year, damaging as many as 45 million lives, representing close to 28 percent of the entire U.S population.
Based on the data from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services under the clean air act, it is estimated that the more significant percentage of total digestive system cancer infections are as a result of industrial water pollution (Edwards, 2013). In other words, wastewater treatment schemes play a significant role in health and environmental factors. Just like economic development, human health status are also categorized by regional differences. People from relatively inferior communities with low overall living status lack healthcare awareness, safe drinking water, and cannot afford private medical costs and hospital access. Moreover, such places are exposed to higher risks of infectious diseases such as dysentery and cholera. Since it identifies that public health plays a crucial role in advancing social prosperity, the U.S government has considered the protection of public health and safety one of its leading priorities. Therefore, the government’s overall investment in health care has improved, and general clinical and health service delivery schemes are being established in both rural and urban states.
Environmental Pollution on the Economy
Health problems can also be evaluated concerning economic losses. (Bose et al. 2010) Stated that air pollution had generated a substantial socioeconomic problem for America’s economy. They reflected the losses in social welfare and consumption made by health conditions from air pollution. Notably, they considered health mutilation based on mortality and morbidity. Also, according to (Bose & Ongley), in New York, aggregate economic expenditure of health effects as a result of air pollution 625.40 million US dollars in 2001 in 2002, indication 1.03 percent of gross domestic product of that city. Medical cost generated by health damage can also cause productivity shortfall. Based on the neoclassical economic concept, the theory of productivity is determined by output function, where production is a function of labor and capital input.
Environmental Laws and Regulations
Environmental conservation is governed at the state and national stages. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency deals with various matters from establishing limits on certain pollutants to imposing central uncontaminated water and safe drinking laws (Karnosky, 2007). Also, Environmental Protection Agency administers regulations to minimize the effect of businesses on the environment. Within the rules and regulations is the food safety under the Food and Drug Administration in collaboration with EPA responsible for the protection of food or any substance concerning the human body. Besides, several environmental programs are given to the states each with primary responsibility for them. However, some environmental regulations are employed on tribal government dealings.
As per the regulations, environmental violations and emergencies can be reported through the National Response Center. In case of anything that directly threatens the environment or public health, it should be considered and published as an emergency. Environmental emergencies are distinguished as a direct threat to ecological conservation or public health. The crises can include radiation emergencies, transportation accidents, natural gas, oil, and chemical releases. On the hand, environmental damages are due to existing conditions or activities that do not conform to environmental regulation or law (Edwards, 2013). The violations include illegal industrial operations, smoke or other releases from local industrial amenities. Interfering with emission regulation or air condition structures in automobiles, improper storage, treatment or disposal of harmful materials and surpassing pollutant limits at publicly owned wastewater treatment factories can also be regarded as environmental violations.
Health Effects
Previous studies indicated that millions of Americans were exposed to contaminated drinking water in any given year, drinking a wide variety of contaminants such as arsenic, lead and fecal coliform (Popp, 2006). The water was particularly contaminated in Idaho, Texas, and Oklahoma, where water sources faced constant violations. These violations mainly occurred in rural regions than urban regions, and relatively weak, rural areas suffered a great deal. Also, these violations rarely occurred in privately owned facilities and in schemes that purchased safe water from other plants. However, it is identified that state implementation organizations lack an organized process to select methods for additional monitoring and inspection.
(Bose et al. 2010) Evaluated the estimate medical expenditures as the average costs of output loss and economic loss linked to harmful organic compounds in drinking water in the US. In his study, lost output is accounted for the work time loss while receiving outpatient and inpatient care. Lead pollution, on the other hand, is regarded as a national health matter before the Environmental Protection Agency eliminated lead in motor vehicle petrol under the Clean Air Act authority. This is because it presently meets federal air quality except for regions near colossal edge emitting manufacturing facilities. Lead is related to neurological effects in children, lowered Intelligence Quotient and learning deficits, behavioral problems, and heart diseases and high blood pressure in adults. Individuals from relatively more impoverished communities with poor overall living status lack healthcare awareness, safe drinking water, and cannot afford private medical costs and hospital access. Also, such places are exposed to higher risks of infectious diseases.
Conclusion
In conclusion, better environmental conditions, economic growth, and advanced public health care services tend to develop social welfare. As a result, policymaking should not only center on economic development but also address environmental conservation from pollution and public health preservation. We concentrate on these critical areas of interest environment, economic, and health. Environmental pollution has become a significant restraint on U.S economic growth, and that increased levels of energy utility are significant causes of environmental pollution. Previous studies indicated that a reflection of the health effects of air pollution, which is related to fossil fuel use can aid growth towards sustainable development. Equally, other research works also study the association between air pollution and public health. However, very few published air pollution group studies have analyzed the resultant relations between public health and air pollution in the U.S.