A Cost-Benefit Evaluation of the Air Quality and Health Impacts in São Paulo, Brazil

Diego Velloso Veronez, Luiz Alexandre Kulay, Paulo Hilário N. Saldiva, Simone G. El K. Miraglia

Earth and Exact Sciences Departament, Universidade Federal de S?o Paulo—UNIFESP, Diadema, Brazil.
Escola Politécnica, Universidade de S?o Paulo, S?o Paulo, Brazil.
Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de S?o Paulo, S?o Paulo, Brazil.
Purchasing Department Lear Corporation, Ca?apava, Brazil.

DOI: 10.4236/jep.2012.329134                

Abstract

The objective was to assess the impact on health due to the exposure to air pollution derived from the renewal of the urban bus fleet in S?o Paulo. The study analyzed the substitution of the bus fleet through the variation of the concentration of atmospheric pollutants such as PM10 in the municipality of S?o Paulo and its associated health’s benefits values compared to the investments performed in the bus fleet renewal. PM10 average annual reduction due to the bus improvement system resulted on 22.3%. A cost-benefit evaluation considered the renewal investments’ costs compared to the obtained valued health benefits and it resulted in 4.31. Although the result may suggest a not viable investment, it must be observed that air pollution reduction favors health impacts and that this relation could be improved if additional investments on sustainable transportation increase.

Keywords

Air Quality; Cost-Benefit; Health Impacts; Transportation; São Paulo; Brazil

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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