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Public Perceptions and Expert Opinions About Microplastic & Nanoplastic Contamination in Water
Summary
This study surveyed public perceptions and expert opinions on microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in Canada, where plastic bans have been enacted but research on stakeholder risk perception remains limited. Findings highlighted gaps between expert understanding and public awareness of plastic pollution risks.
Plastic is an emerging environmental and health concern due to its degradation to form microplastics and nanoplastics. These plastic particles are found in different environments, especially water bodies, encouraging governments like Canada to enforce strict plastic bans. However, there is inadequate research in Canada on stakeholder and public perspectives on this pollution. Public risk perception and expert opinions are important pillars of policymaking. Hence, this research aims to discover the public's risk perception of the pollution and their plastic behaviours, by analyzing comments from nine Reddit posts. Sentiment analysis, the theoretical domain framework, and risk perception theory were utilized to guide online analysis. Interviews were also conducted with experts from various Canadian provinces and sectors. The results highlighted the need for better risk communication and interventions to raise awareness and encourage plastic avoidance. Stakeholders emphasized the need to manage plastics by sharing recommendations to guide policymaking and protect public health.