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Transportation and Water Quality in the U.S.

dc.contributor.authorZhao, Yongfan
dc.contributor.chairLi, Shanjunen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberKling, Catherineen_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-31T21:13:08Z
dc.date.available2024-01-31T21:13:08Z
dc.date.issued2023-05
dc.description.abstractThe relationship between transportation and air quality has been widely studied while little did we know about transportation and water quality in economic papers, despite its importance emphasized by the Clean Water Act. This study estimates the effect of annual average daily traffic (AADT) on lead pollution in surface water across the United States. The results show that one million more vehicles within 2 miles of the water will lead to 1.95 ug/L increase in lead concentration and the effect is mainly localized. The total estimated increase in lead in water due to heavier traffic amounts to 1.33 ug/L from 2011-2017, accounting for about 45% of the sample mean lead concentration. This paper then confirms that the mobilizing effect dominates the diluting effect, meaning the heavy storm events will result in worsening highway runoff quality for lead. This study also indicates that the effect is larger in rural areas than urban areas. Finally, policy implications are discussed to deal with the negative externalities brought by the transportation sector.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.7298/z7jt-6y35
dc.identifier.otherZhao_cornell_0058O_11711
dc.identifier.otherhttp://dissertations.umi.com/cornell:11711
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1813/113977
dc.language.isoen
dc.rightsAttribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/*
dc.subjectClean Water Acten_US
dc.subjectClimate Changeen_US
dc.subjectHighway Runoffen_US
dc.subjectLead Pollutionen_US
dc.titleTransportation and Water Quality in the U.S.en_US
dc.typedissertation or thesisen_US
dcterms.licensehttps://hdl.handle.net/1813/59810.2
thesis.degree.disciplineApplied Economics and Management
thesis.degree.grantorCornell University
thesis.degree.levelMaster of Science
thesis.degree.nameM.S., Applied Economics and Management

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