Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Health Literacy and Environmental Risks Focusing Air Pollution: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study in Germany

Researchers surveyed health literacy related to air pollution risks in a sample of the German general population. The study found that people's understanding of environmental health risks varied based on their information sources and prior knowledge, suggesting that more targeted communication strategies are needed to help the public better understand and respond to air quality threats.

2024 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk governance of potential emerging risks to drinking water quality: Analysing current practices

Researchers compared how four governments (Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Minnesota) manage emerging chemical contaminants in drinking water and found that scientific evidence is rarely translated into policy in a timely or systematic way. They call for better early-warning systems and more proactive risk governance frameworks to protect public health before threats become crises.

2018 Environmental Science & Policy 36 citations
Article Tier 2

A Risky Object? How Microplastics Are Represented in the German Media

Analysis of German print media coverage of microplastics from 2012 to 2019 found a shift from framing microplastics as a distant marine problem to a personal health risk, with the discovery of microplastics in human bodies driving increased alarm and calls for precautionary regulatory action.

2021 Science Communication 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring public risk perceptions of microplastics: Findings from a cross‐national qualitative interview study among German and Italian citizens

Researchers conducted interviews with citizens in Germany and Italy to understand how ordinary people think about the risks of microplastics. They found that people often transferred their knowledge about large plastic pollution to microplastics, used concepts like accumulation and dose-response to reason about risks, and saw environmental and human health threats as closely connected. The study suggests that public risk perceptions of microplastics are shaped by intuitive reasoning and personal experiences rather than formal scientific knowledge.

2023 Risk Analysis 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Who worries about microplastics? The relative importance of personal values and individual risk judgements / ¿A quién le preocupan los microplásticos? La importancia relativa de los valores personales y los juicios individuales de riesgo

Researchers surveyed nearly 700 people in Norway to understand what drives public worry about microplastic pollution. They found that personal values and individual risk perceptions were the strongest predictors of concern, more so than demographic factors or general environmental attitudes. The study suggests that communication strategies about microplastic risks should account for how people personally evaluate threats rather than relying solely on scientific information.

2024 PsyEcology Bilingual Journal of Environmental Psychology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding public perceptions of marine threats: awareness and concern among residents and visitors of the German Baltic Sea Coast

Researchers surveyed 628 residents and visitors along the German Baltic Sea coast to assess public awareness of marine environmental threats. The study found that while people reported high concern about ecological threats, they tended to identify visible issues like plastic waste and oil spills more readily than less perceptible problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and chemical pollution.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Conceptions of university students on microplastics in Germany

Researchers surveyed German university students to capture their conceptions and misconceptions about microplastics, finding significant gaps between scientific knowledge and public understanding. The findings provide a basis for improving science communication and educational strategies around microplastic pollution.

2021 PLoS ONE 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the microplastics health impacts risk perception in Iranian people: Challenges and improvement strategies

Researchers surveyed Iranians to assess their awareness and risk perception of microplastic health hazards, finding significant gaps in public understanding despite growing environmental contamination. The study proposes strategies spanning individual behavior, community education, and national policy to improve microplastic risk management.

2025 Environmental Health Engineering and Management
Article Tier 2

How Do Information Resources Influencethe Public Environmental Risk Perception?A National Survey in China

This paper is not about microplastics — it is a survey-based study of how different information channels (social media, traditional news, government sources) shape Chinese citizens' environmental risk perception, finding that online information has the strongest effect on perceived environmental threats.

2023 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Explicitly and Implicitly Measured Valence and Risk Attitudes Towards Plastic Packaging, Plastic Waste, and Microplastic in a German Sample

This psychology study measured both explicit and implicit attitudes toward plastic packaging and microplastics in German consumers, finding that people simultaneously appreciate the convenience of plastic while expressing concern about pollution. The gap between attitudes and behavior helps explain why plastic consumption continues despite public concern about microplastics.

2021 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Consumer Awareness of The Environmental and Health Risks of Micro plastics Pollution

Researchers surveyed 400 Kuwaiti participants to assess consumer awareness of the environmental and health risks of microplastic pollution and how this knowledge influences behavior. About 80% of respondents understood the risks, but knowledge gaps existed—particularly misconceptions about who is most affected—suggesting targeted communication is needed to convert awareness into sustainable consumption behavior.

2025 Delta Journal of Science
Article Tier 2

Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Health—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Researchers surveyed 697 German residents about their perceptions of climate change and its health impacts. While 85% agreed that human-induced climate change exists and 83% believed it affects health, most perceived the global population as more affected than themselves. The study suggests that cognitive dissonance may explain why people acknowledge climate health risks in general but underestimate their own personal vulnerability.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The degree of awareness of the risk of microplastic particles/people’s perception in taking preventive measures for this type of risk

This study surveyed public awareness of microplastic risks and perceptions around taking protective measures, finding that knowledge levels were variable and that most people had limited understanding of exposure routes and health implications. The authors call for targeted public communication campaigns to increase risk awareness.

2024 Journal of Engineering Sciences and Innovation
Article Tier 2

Telling stories about (micro)plastic pollution: Media images, public perceptions and social change

This paper examines how microplastic pollution has been framed in media reporting and how the public understands the issue, finding that culturally embedded ideas about risk and health shape people's responses. Understanding media framing and public perception is important for designing effective communication strategies around microplastic contamination.

2018
Article Tier 2

Risk perception related to food

This review examines how people perceive food-related risks, finding that public concern about GMOs, pesticides, and additives is often high and disconnected from scientific risk assessments, driven by distrust of industry and government. The authors stress the need for transparent risk communication strategies that account for the psychological and cultural dimensions of food risk perception.

2020 Food Science and Technology 32 citations
Article Tier 2

“The toxic substance has killed all ducks”: framing of chemical risks related to the 2021 summer flood in German news media

Researchers analyzed how German news media framed chemical pollution risks during the 2021 summer floods, finding that chemical contamination was rarely covered compared to other flood-related topics. The study suggests that when chemical risks were discussed, reporting tended to focus on factual descriptions rather than providing context about broader environmental and health implications.

2023 Environmental Sciences Europe 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The Influence of Crisis Management, Risk-Taking, and Innovation in Sustainability Practices: Empirical Evidence From Iraq

This study examines how crisis management, risk-taking, and innovation affect sustainability practices in Iraq's energy sector. The paper is focused on organizational management rather than environmental pollution.

2022 Interdisciplinary Journal of Information Knowledge and Management 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Communicating scientific uncertainties: Effects of message and audience characteristics in the context of microplastic health risks

Researchers conducted an experiment with over 1,100 participants in Austria to study how communicating scientific uncertainty about microplastic health risks affects public perception. They found that emphasizing a lack of scientific consensus led to lower risk perception and indirectly reduced support for related policies. Framing uncertainty as remaining knowledge gaps rather than disagreement among scientists produced less negative effects on public engagement.

2026 Public Understanding of Science
Article Tier 2

The influence of media narratives on microplastics risk perception

Researchers examined how media narratives about microplastic pollution influence public risk perception. The study argues that accurate and balanced reporting is essential to prevent misinformation and ensure people clearly understand the risks associated with microplastics. The findings suggest that understanding public perceptions can help design better interventions to reduce plastic consumption and its associated health and environmental impacts.

2023 PeerJ 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Public perceptions and expert opinions about microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in water

This qualitative study explored how the public and experts perceive microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in water, using interviews and focus groups across multiple stakeholder groups. It found significant gaps between scientific understanding and public risk perception, with implications for water policy and communication strategies.

2025 Environmental Research Health
Article Tier 2

Communicating ocean and human health connections: An agenda for research and practice

This review examines the emerging field of ocean and human health communication, arguing that effective messaging strategies linking ocean pollution to personal health outcomes can motivate public action and policy change more powerfully than broad environmental appeals.

2022 Frontiers in Public Health 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk perception of differet environmental concerns

This study investigated how individuals perceive and prioritize different environmental risks including microplastics, air pollution, and climate change, using survey data to compare risk perception across demographic groups. The findings reveal that awareness of microplastic risks lags behind other environmental concerns.

2024 Open Science Framework
Article Tier 2

Public Awareness Of Plastic Pollution And Perceived Risks To Human Health.

This study aims to assess public awareness of plastic pollution and its health impacts by surveying urban and semi-urban communities about their plastic use habits and self-reported health outcomes. Researchers plan to compare families using plastic food-contact materials with those using non-plastic alternatives to identify gaps in awareness and potential health differences linked to everyday plastic exposure.

2026
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Marketing and the Challenges of Green Marketing Communication: Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Buying Behaviour for Sustainable Products in the Czech Republic

Not relevant to microplastics — this survey examines Czech consumer attitudes toward sustainable products, exploring the gap between professed environmental values and actual purchasing behavior, and the challenges of green marketing communication.

2024 WSB Journal of Business and Finance 3 citations