Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Differences and InfluencingFactors of Public Participation in EnvironmentalProtection Behavior in the Private and PublicSpheres in China

Not relevant to microplastics — this sociological study analyzes factors influencing Chinese citizens' environmental protection behaviors in public and private spheres, using 2013 national survey data.

2023 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of perceived risk of online takeout packaging and the moderating role of educational level

Researchers surveyed 336 consumers in China and found that awareness of packaging pollution risk significantly dampened their willingness to order online takeout food, with attitudes and social norms partially explaining the effect. Higher education levels sharpened this response, suggesting that better-informed consumers are more likely to factor plastic pollution risk into food purchasing decisions.

2023 Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 11 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

Risk Perception of Plastic Pollution: Importance of Stakeholder Involvement and Citizen Science

Researchers examine how people perceive the risk of plastic pollution and find that eight key factors — including visibility, familiarity, and severity — shape public and policy responses. Greater involvement of citizens and stakeholders in science could improve risk understanding and lead to more effective regulations.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 59 citations
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

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 knowledge of microplastics for pro-environmental behavior

Researchers analyzed public knowledge of microplastics and its relationship to pro-environmental behavior, finding that because microplastics are invisible to the naked eye, public perception depends entirely on external information sources rather than direct experience, with implications for environmental communication strategies.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Internet User Awareness Assessment on the Impact of Microplastics on Health

A survey of 281 internet users aged 15–50 across diverse demographics assessed public awareness of microplastic health risks. Results revealed significant gaps in understanding — most respondents had heard of microplastics but underestimated their prevalence in food and water and were unaware of specific health effects. The study highlights that public health messaging about microplastics lags well behind the scientific evidence, which matters because consumer behaviour and policy support both depend on informed public understanding.

2023 Bulletin of Science and Practice 1 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

Public perception of microplastics pollution in Switzerland: Psychological distance, concern, and willingness to engage in mitigation activities

Researchers surveyed over 900 people in Switzerland to understand how the public perceives microplastic pollution and their willingness to take action. The study found that people perceive microplastics as a relatively close threat on most psychological dimensions, and that concern about the issue, particularly concern for nature, is a stronger predictor of willingness to engage in mitigation activities than psychological distance alone.

2026
Article Tier 2

An empirical assessment of worry about microplastics among the Norwegian public

Researchers surveyed 699 Norwegian adults online about their familiarity with and worry about microplastics, along with risk perception components including controllability, threat level, and personal values. Women and older respondents reported higher worry, and those endorsing self-transcendence values showed greater concern, though these demographic and value associations became non-significant once risk perception variables were included in the regression model.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Public perceptions of electromagnetic fields and environmental health risks

Researchers surveyed public perceptions of electromagnetic fields and environmental health risks in Ireland using behavioral science methods. While not focused on microplastics, the study provides insights into how the public evaluates environmental health risks, finding that substantial minorities hold concerns even where scientific evidence of harm is lacking.

2024 2 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

Pengetahuan dan Kesadaran Masyarakat di Beberapa Lokasi Terpilih Kota Semarang tentang Literasi Sampah Laut dan Mikroplastik

A study of nearly 500 people in Indonesia found that those who actively searched for information online were more likely to understand the health risks of microplastics—tiny plastic particles that can end up in our food and water. People who got their information from the internet had better knowledge about plastic pollution and microplastic dangers compared to those who relied on other sources. This research suggests that making accurate information about microplastics easier to find online could help people make better choices to protect their health.

2026 JURNAL KESEHATAN LINGKUNGAN INDONESIA
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

What influences public support for plastic waste control policies and green consumption? Evidence from a multilevel analysis of survey data from 27 European countries

This multi-country survey across 27 European nations found that media use and country-level factors shape citizens' support for plastic waste policy and green consumption. People who consumed environmental news from diverse media sources were more likely to support plastic reduction policies and adopt green behaviors. The findings have implications for designing effective public communication strategies about plastic pollution.

2023 Online Media and Global Communication 2 citations
Article Tier 2

How Do Environmental Concerns and Governance Performance Affect Public Environmental Participation: A Case Study of Waste Sorting in Urban China

A survey of Chinese urban residents found that higher confidence in government environmental management was paradoxically associated with lower personal participation in waste sorting programs, suggesting that trust in official institutions can reduce citizens' sense of individual responsibility for environmental action.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Survey instructions bias perceptions of environmental health risks

This study found that the framing and instructions used in environmental health risk surveys significantly bias how respondents perceive and rank risks, with implications for how governments measure and respond to public risk perceptions.

2024
Article Tier 2

Does Individuals’ Perception of Wastewater Pollution Decrease Their Self-Rated Health? Evidence from China

Researchers found that individuals in China who perceive higher levels of local wastewater pollution report significantly lower self-rated health, using large-scale survey data from all 31 provinces to quantify the associations between environmental pollution perception and subjective health outcomes.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 3 citations