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A systematic review of microplastics perception and its factors: Implications on SDGs
Summary
This systematic review examines public awareness and understanding of microplastic pollution around the world. The findings show that gender and education level are key factors in how people perceive microplastic risks, and that more research is needed on how awareness translates into behavior changes that could reduce plastic pollution and its health impacts.
• Microplastics harm human health and ecosystems. • Understanding microplastic perception is crucial for promoting behavioral change. • Surveys are the common methods for studying microplastic perception. • Gender and education are key determinants of microplastic perception. • The SDG implications of microplastic perceptions remain underexplored. The paper presents a systematic review of how microplastics perception studies are conducted across the globe with their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implications. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed 70 research articles and analyzed them by geographical location, research methods, factors influencing microplastic perception, and their implications for the SDGs. Microplastics are strongly associated with marine litter and plastic pollution, given their interconnectedness. Methodologically, around 70 % of research is based on primary data sources, particularly surveys (e.g., questionnaires, online surveys, telephone surveys). Social factors such as education and gender are the most significant factors shaping microplastics perception. The SDG implications remain largely undocumented while some studies underscore sustainability challenges posed by microplastics.