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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Can we investigate microplastic pollution with school students? Experiences from eight years of citizen science research
ClearCan we investigate microplastic pollution with school students? Experiences from eight years of citizen science research
Researchers shared eight years of experience from the Plastic Pirates citizen science program involving over 24,000 school students and teachers in microplastic research across Germany, addressing challenges of contamination prevention, particle size, and sample processing in non-laboratory settings. The study evaluated the feasibility and scientific validity of engaging young citizen scientists in standardized riverine microplastic monitoring.
Sharing communication insights of the citizen science program Plastic Pirates—best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research
The Plastic Pirates citizen science program in Germany engaged schoolchildren and teachers in monitoring plastic pollution in rivers over seven years, and this paper shares the communication strategies that made the program work at scale. Effective participant recruitment, guidance, and feedback loops enabled the program to generate peer-reviewed scientific data while building environmental literacy. The lessons offer a replicable model for using citizen science to expand microplastic monitoring coverage beyond what professional researchers can achieve alone.
Students’ attitudes towards the environment and marine litter in the context of a coastal water quality educational citizen science project
Middle school students who participated in a citizen science project monitoring coastal water quality and microplastic pollution showed significantly more positive environmental attitudes afterward compared to a control group. The study suggests that hands-on engagement with real microplastic research can be an effective way to build environmental awareness in young people.
Schoolchildren discover hotspots of floating plastic litter in rivers using a large-scale collaborative approach
A large-scale citizen science project involving schoolchildren detected microplastic hotspots in rivers across multiple European countries, demonstrating that collaborative monitoring can generate spatially extensive data on riverine plastic pollution.
A nationwide assessment of plastic pollution in the Danish realm using citizen science
Researchers conducted a nationwide citizen science assessment of plastic pollution across Denmark, Greenland, and the Faeroe Islands, with approximately 57,000 school students collecting 374,082 plastic items across eight nature types in 94 of 98 Danish municipalities. The study demonstrated that student-led citizen science can fill important knowledge gaps in land-based plastic litter monitoring beyond beach surveys.
Citizen Science for Monitoring Plastic Pollution from Source to Sea: A Systematic Review of Methodologies, Best Practices, and Challenges
This systematic review examines how citizen science programs track plastic pollution from land to sea. The research found that while public participation greatly expands data collection, inconsistent methods and data quality issues limit the scientific usefulness of the results. Better-designed citizen science programs could help communities monitor and respond to the microplastic pollution in their local environments.
Making citizen science count: Best practices and challenges of citizen science projects on plastics in aquatic environments
This paper reviews best practices and challenges for citizen science projects focused on plastic pollution in aquatic environments, finding that while citizen science can effectively gather large-scale data and raise public awareness, data quality and consistency remain significant challenges.
First results of citizen science campaign, Plastic Pirates, in Latvia – microplastic pollution in rivers and streams
Researchers presented the first results from the 'Plastic Pirates - Go Europe!' citizen science initiative in Latvia, where schoolchildren collected data on microplastic and litter pollution in rivers and streams to build knowledge on pollution sources and transport pathways in a data-poor region. The campaign identified dominant plastic types and pollution hotspots in Latvian waterways, demonstrating the value of structured citizen science for expanding monitoring coverage in countries with limited research infrastructure.
The sampling and analysis of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic: Development of a citizen science approach
This study designed, developed, and tested a citizen science approach to microplastic and mesoplastic data collection on coastal beaches to address scale and coverage limitations of traditional research methods. Results showed non-expert participants could collect comparable data to researchers, expanding monitoring capacity across undersampled coastlines.
Microplastic detectives: a citizen-science project reveals large variation in meso- and microplastic pollution along German coastlines
A citizen science project recruited volunteers to sample meso- and microplastics along German Baltic and North Sea coastlines, achieving spatial coverage far beyond what scientific teams alone could accomplish. Large variation in plastic pollution was found across sites, with some areas showing unexpectedly high concentrations linked to local sources and ocean circulation patterns.
Citizen observation of plastic pollution in coastal ecosystems to address data gaps in marine litter distribution
Researchers launched the COLLECT citizen science project in seven African and Asian countries, training 15-18 year-old students to sample and analyze macro-, meso-, and microplastics in beach sediments using standardized scientific protocols, while simultaneously measuring shifts in ocean literacy and pro-environmental behavior to quantify the educational impact of the intervention.
Volunteer microplastic sampling in Puget Sound: strategies for broad inclusion, education, and research
This paper describes a volunteer microplastic sampling program in Puget Sound, Washington, examining strategies for community participation and data quality in citizen science monitoring of marine plastic pollution. The program demonstrates how broad public involvement can generate spatially extensive environmental data at low cost.
Schools against plastics: Schooling environmentally conscious students and supporting research on marine litter and microplastics
A citizen science initiative engaged Greek students in monitoring plastic pollution on two coastal beaches, finding macrolitter densities of 0.6 to 5.9 items per square meter and microplastic concentrations of 4.6 to 102.5 particles per kilogram of sand. Single-use plastics, especially bottle caps and cigarette butts, made up over 25% of collected items, and microplastics were also found inside sea urchins at both sites. The project demonstrates that student participation can generate scientifically valuable pollution data while building environmental awareness.
Testing citizen science as a tool for monitoring surface water microplastics
Researchers tested citizen science as a monitoring method for surface water microplastics in the Baltic Sea using a custom manta trawl aboard a sailing vessel, sampling at seven locations and finding microplastic concentrations from 0.45 to 1.98 MP/m², and evaluated the viability of integrating citizen science into large-scale MP monitoring programs.
Addressing data gaps in marine litter distribution: Citizen science observation of plastics in coastal ecosystems by high-school students
The COLLECT citizen science project (2021-2022) trained high school students in seven African and Asian countries to sample and analyze macro-, meso-, and microplastics on beaches, generating open-access baseline data on coastal plastic pollution in regions with previously limited monitoring coverage.
Determining global distribution of microplastics by combining citizen science and in-depth case studies
This study combined citizen science sampling data with in-depth field studies to build a better global picture of microplastic distribution. The approach shows how large-scale volunteer monitoring can extend spatial coverage far beyond what professional researchers can achieve alone.
Citizen Science for Assessment of Microplastics on Beaches: A Case Study in Mexico
Researchers used a citizen science approach involving 26 volunteers to assess microplastic abundance and type on Mexican beaches, providing broad geographic coverage at lower cost than traditional monitoring. Participants used standardized materials and training to collect and identify microplastics, generating a representative database that also raised public awareness of coastal plastic pollution.
Citizen_Labs – conception and evaluation of a course on plastic waste and microplastic in adult education
Researchers conceived and evaluated a citizen science laboratory course on plastic waste and microplastics for adult education, examining how experiential learning formats can raise environmental awareness and scientific literacy about plastic pollution among non-specialist participants.
Microplastic Pollution Projects and Participatory Science
This paper discusses citizen science and participatory science projects for monitoring microplastic pollution, reviewing methodological approaches, data quality considerations, and the potential for large-scale pollution mapping through public engagement.
Paddle surfing for science on microplastic pollution: a successful citizen science initiative
Researchers used paddle surfers as citizen scientists to collect microplastic samples from near-shore coastal waters in the Mediterranean Sea, filling a gap in data from areas close to the coastline. The study demonstrates how citizen science can expand microplastic monitoring to locations that are difficult to access with conventional research vessels.