휴대폰 전자파 피해의 경제적 비용: 조건부 가치측정법의 응용

Abstract

A contingent valuation method which has been widely accepted in economics to measure the value of non-market goods was applied to estimate the economic cost of the potential damage of electromagnetic radiation from cellular phones. We carried out a nation-wide contingent valuation survey on 1,000 adult cellular phone users in Korea. The potential damages from electromagnetic radiation were explained and current controversy over evidences among researchers were informed to survey respondents. Assuming that a hypothetical device which can fully block the potentially harmful electromagnetic radiation is developed, survey respondents were asked if they were willing to pay a certain quoted amount to rent the device on an annual basis. We also asked if they were willing to pay a certain amount for the government-led research of the potential radiation damage.We found that the economic cost of the potential damage of electromagnetic radiation was about 20,000 won(about $17) per year for a typical cellular phone user and he or she would be willing to pay about 1,800 won(about $1.5) per year for the study of radiation damage. When the estimates were extended over all cellular phone users in Korea, the economic cost of the potential damage by the radiation was estimated about 600 billion won (about $500 million) per year and Korean people would be willing to pay about 54 billion won(about $45 million) per year for the proposed study of radiation damage.