Detecting community response to water quality violations using bottled water sales.

ABSTRACT: Drinking-water contaminants pose a risk to public health. When confronted with elevated levels of contaminants, individuals can take actions to reduce exposure. Yet, few studies address averting behavior due to impaired water, particularly in high-income countries. This is a problem of national interest, given that 9 million to 45 million people have been affected by water quality violations in each of the past 34 years. No national analysis has focused on the extent to which communities reduce exposure to contaminated drinking water. Here, we present an assessment that sheds light on how communities across the United States respond to violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, using consumer purchases of bottled water. This study provides insight into how averting behavior differs across

SUBMITTER: Allaire M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6800357 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature