Alejo Pérez Carrera

Economic Feasibility Study for Improving Drinking Water Quality: A Case Study of Arsenic Contamination in Rural Argentina

Economic studies are essential in evaluating the potential external investment support and/or internal tariffs available to improve drinking water quality. Cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is a useful tool to assess the economic feasibility of such interventions, i.e. to take some form of action to improve the drinking water quality. CBA should involve the market and non-market effects associated with the intervention. An economic framework was proposed in this study, which estimated the health avoided costs and the environmental benefits for the net present value of reducing the pollutant concentrations in drinking water. We conducted an empirical application to assess the economic feasibility of removing arsenic from water in a rural area of Argentina. Four small-scale methods were evaluated in our study. The results indicated that the inclusion of non-market benefits was integral to supporting investment projects. In addition, the application of the proposed framework will provide water authorities with more complete information for the decision-making process.

Arsenic biotransference to alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

The arsenic (As) concentration in the edible part of crops depends on the availability of the As present in the soil and the ability of a crop to take up As and translocate it to the target organs. The aim of this study was the determination of As concentration in soils and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in field conditions and pot experiments to analyse As soil-forage transference. Results show that most of the available As is transferred.