Abstract: Several methods, including market value method, labor cost method, engineering cost method, recoveringcost method and opportunity cost method,were adopted in the study to evaluate the environmental losses from soil pollution,ground water pollution, crop pollution and health damage caused by sewage irrigat ion in Beijing rural areas.The resultsshowed that the total economic loss from sewage irrigat ion was 180. 16 million yuan RMB,which make up 3. 65% ofagricultural increased value in 2002.The economic loss from crop yield decrease is 35. 8% of the total loss, 24. 7% fromcrop pollution, 23. 3% from soil pollution, 12% from health damage and 12% from ground pollution. At the meantime,the external cost from sewage irrigation is approximately 888. 55 yuan/ ( hm2#a) .The total external cost range from 41. 63million yuan to 100. 54 million yuan every year, namely, the cost from 41. 63 million yuan to 100. 54 million yuan waspaid by the society.

Key words: Sewage irrigat ion, Environmental pollution, Economic loss, Evaluation methods

CLC Number: 

• X52