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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Longitudinal Study of Motivation, Attitude, and Knowledge of Citizen Scientists Monitoring Plastic Pollution On Dutch Riverbanks
ClearCitizen science against the plastic soup: background, motivation and expectations of volunteers studying plastic pollution on Dutch riverbanks
Researchers surveyed 122 citizen scientists in the Dutch Clean Rivers project before and after one year of monitoring plastic pollution on riverbanks, finding that participants were predominantly middle-aged, highly educated, and motivated by activist goals of tackling plastic pollution at its source, while more personal motivations such as learning and enjoyment declined significantly over the participation period.
Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing
A three-month citizen science project in the Netherlands studied how participating in microfiber laundry bag monitoring influenced residents' environmental awareness and washing behaviors, finding that hands-on engagement with pollution measurement can shift consumer attitudes.
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.
Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing
Researchers reported on the psychological outcomes for participants in a citizen science project studying household microplastic sources, finding that engagement with microplastic research increased environmental awareness and motivated behavior change around plastic use.
The potential for freshwater citizen science to engage and empower: a case study of the Rivers Trusts, United Kingdom
Researchers examined freshwater citizen science programs run by UK Rivers Trusts, finding that volunteer monitoring of water quality, plastic pollution, and invasive species effectively engaged communities and in some cases led directly to pollution source remediation.
Students’ Attitudes Towards Science: the Contribution of a Citizen Science Project for Monitoring Coastal Water Quality and (micro)plastics
This study found that middle school students participating in a citizen science project monitoring coastal water quality and microplastic pollution showed improved attitudes toward science, particularly in critical thinking and perceived scientific self-efficacy. Hands-on engagement with real environmental monitoring activities can effectively improve science literacy and positive attitudes toward environmental issues in young people.
Can we investigate microplastic pollution with school students? Experiences from eight years of citizen science research
Researchers reported on eight years of citizen science microplastic research conducted with school students through the Plastic Pirates program, sharing methodological experiences and lessons learned from involving more than 24,000 participants across Germany and other European countries in rigorous environmental monitoring.
Can 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.
Comparison of the macro-, meso- and microplastic pollution in French riverbanks and beaches using citizen science with schoolchildren
Researchers conducted a citizen science initiative with French schoolchildren to compare macro-, meso-, and microplastic pollution across 86 riverbank and beach sites, finding that riverbanks accumulated distinct plastic assemblages compared to beaches. The study demonstrated that schoolchildren can generate reliable comparative litter data, and highlighted rivers as underrepresented yet critical plastic transport pathways to the ocean.
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.
Plastic Hotspot Mapping in Urban Water Systems
A simple citizen science method for mapping plastic hotspots in urban waterways was tested in two Dutch cities, finding similar average plastic densities but different spatial distributions. The study highlights the need for long-term monitoring to better understand how cities contribute to plastic pollution in rivers and oceans.
Comparison of macrolitter and meso- and microplastic pollution on French riverbanks and coastal beaches using citizen science with schoolchildren
A citizen science project with 3,113 French schoolchildren sampled 81 riverbanks and 66 coastal beaches, collecting 55,986 plastic pieces, and found that riverbanks had comparable plastic pollution levels to beaches, highlighting rivers as underrecognized plastic accumulation zones.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Review: Suitability of river plastic monitoring methods for citizen science — R1/PR7
This peer review evaluates a study on the suitability of river plastic monitoring methods for citizen science, assessing methodological approaches and their potential for providing scalable, continuous baseline data on plastic transport from land to ocean at a global scale.
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 Project's Contribution to Science Learning Outcome: Systematic Literature Review
This systematic review identified 19 types of citizen science projects that contribute to science learning at school and university levels, finding that six key learning outcomes are most commonly achieved, including content knowledge and scientific inquiry skills. This study is not related to microplastics but was included due to its systematic review methodology.
Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing
Researchers conducted a pre-registered three-month citizen science study in the Netherlands where participants used microfiber-capturing laundry bags and completed pre/post surveys on environmental concern, perceived responsibility, and washing behavior. High baseline environmental concern was found but did not strongly predict behavior change, suggesting psychological interventions beyond awareness are needed to reduce laundry microfiber emissions.
Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing
A citizen science study in which households measured synthetic microfibers released during laundry washing found that participants reported increased environmental concern and behavioral intent to reduce microfiber emissions, demonstrating that participatory research on household microplastic sources can have positive psychological effects.
Monitoring and Promoting Citizen Engagement in Assessing the Ecological Status of Ave River: A Case Study in Northern Portugal
Not relevant to microplastics — this Portuguese study assessed the ecological health of a river using biological and chemical indicators and recruited citizen scientists to help monitor water quality, with no focus on microplastics.
Citizen Science in the Philippines: Coastal biodiversity engagements on a small island
This paper is not directly about microplastics; it surveys public participation in citizen science projects on a small Philippine island, focusing on coastal biodiversity conservation and volunteerism patterns by gender and age.
Plastic Detectives Are Watching Us: Citizen Science Towards Alternative Single-Use-Plastic-Related Behaviour
This study used citizen science initiatives to engage the public in reducing single-use plastic consumption two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers found that most existing citizen science projects focused on beach clean-ups and litter surveys, while none addressed consumer behavior directly. Their "Plastic Detective" project collected behavioral data on plastic use and found that young people were particularly receptive to adopting alternatives to single-use plastics.