Research
Publications
Forever Chemicals: Challenges and Opportunities for Researchers (with Wes Austin)
Accepted at Review of Environmental Economics and Policy
Abstract: There is substantial academic, regulatory, and public attention on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often dubbed "forever chemicals'" due to their resistance to degradation. PFAS are used in a wide variety of production processes and consumer products, are found in food and drinking water sources, and are subsequently present in samples of human blood, breast milk, and environmental media collected in the United States and globally. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a litany of health effects including kidney and testicular cancer, immune system hypersensitivity and suppression, endocrine disruption, and adverse reproductive outcomes such as decreased fertility and lower birth weights. However, certain health endpoints are understudied in human populations and many questions remain unanswered, with notable gaps in the literature regarding exposure pathways, health burdens, replacement PFAS, and disparate impacts. Regulation of PFAS is just beginning for many environmental media, and research opportunities described in this paper can potentially inform the development of new policies to address the PFAS problem.
Quantifying disparities in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in drinking water from overburdened communities in New Jersey, 2019-2021 (with Alissa Cordner, Derrick Salvatore and Phil Brown)
Accepted at Environmental Health Perspectives
Abstract: Policymakers have become increasingly concerned regarding the widespread exposure and toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While concerns exist about unequal distribution of PFAS contamination in drinking water, research is lacking. We assess the scope of PFAS contamination in drinking water in New Jersey (NJ), the first U.S. state to develop regulatory levels for PFAS in drinking water. We test for inequities in PFAS concentrations by community sociodemographic characteristics. We use PFAS testing data for Community Water Systems (CWS, n=491) from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) from 2019-2021 and demographic data at the block group level from the U.S. Census to estimate the demographics of the NJ population served by CWS. We use difference in means tests to determine whether CWSs serving “overburdened communities” (OBCs) have a statistically significant difference in likelihood of PFAS detections. OBCs are defined by NJDEP to be census block groups in which: (i) at least 35 percent of the households qualify as low-income (ii) at least 40 percent of the residents identify as people of color; or (iii) at least 40 percent of the households have limited English proficiency. We calculate statewide summary statistics to approximate the relative proportions of sociodemographic groups that are served by CWSs with PFAS detections. We find that 63% of all CWSs tested by NJDEP from 2019-2021 had PFAS detections in public drinking water, collectively serving 84% of NJ’s population receiving water from CWSs. Additionally, CWSs serving OBCs had a statistically significant higher likelihood of PFAS detection and a higher likelihood of exposure above state MCLs. We also find that a larger proportion of people of color lived in CWS service areas with PFAS detections compared to the non-Hispanic white population. These findings quantitatively identify disparities in PFAS contamination of drinking water by CWS service area, and highlight the extent of PFAS drinking water contamination and the importance of PFAS remediation efforts for protecting environmental health and justice.
Surface Coal Mining and Public Health Disparities: Evidence from Appalachia
Resources Policy (2022)
Abstract: Previous research in the public health and epidemiology literatures has highlighted that coal-producing counties in Appalachia exhibit morbidity and mortality rates higher than those in the rest of the United States. However, these studies primarily use cross-sectional data, rely on singular measures of mortality, such as the age-adjusted mortality rate, and solely measure mining activity that occurs within a county's jurisdictional boundary. To address these limitations, I combine more than three decades of data on coal-mining activity and county-level mortality rates to quantify the association between surface coal production and mortality risk and highlight inequities in this relationship across demographic groups. I nd increases in nearby surface coal-mining activity is associated with increased mortality rates from cardiovascular disease among the population over age 65. Results from this study support an expedited transition away from U.S. production of coal, which would mitigate the effects of climate change and would also address concerns about inequitably experienced local pollution exposure from extraction activities.
Working Papers
Discovery of Unregulated Contaminants in Drinking Water: Evidence from PFAS and Housing Prices (with Michelle Marcus)
Abstract: Our understanding of individuals’ response to information about unregulated contaminants is limited. We leverage the highly publicized social discovery of unregulated PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in public drinking water to study the impact of information about unregulated contaminants on housing prices. Using residential property transaction data, we employ a difference-in-differences research design and show that high profile media coverage about PFAS contamination significantly decreased property values of affected homes. We also find suggestive evidence of residential sorting that may have worsened environmental inequality.
Groundwater Pollution in Oregon's Southern Willamette Valley: A Hedonic Property Value Analysis of a Policy Intervention
Abstract: In 2004, a groundwater management area (GWMA) was established in Oregon’s southern Willamette Valley in response to a groundwater study conducted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) which found elevated nitrate concentrations. I find that the GWMA establishment led to an increase in values for residential properties located within the GWMA. However, the positive effect was driven by properties within city limits versus rural properties which are more likely to be reliant on private well water. This heterogeneity reflects heightened awareness of groundwater quality among residents and housing market participants after designation of the GWMA.