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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Wasting the Restorative Potential: Influences of Plastic and Biowaste on Psychological Restoration After Real, Virtual, and Imagined Walks
ClearFinding Satoyama – Forest bathing as a creative practice of knowledge creation and healing in/with/through damaged landscapes
This article investigates forest bathing as a creative practice for reconnecting people with natural landscapes. The study explores how walking, talking, and sitting practices in forest environments can serve as both research methods and mental health interventions, though this work is not directly related to microplastic research.
What is known and unknown about the effects of plastic pollution: A meta‐analysis and systematic review
This meta-analysis and systematic review pools data from hundreds of studies to assess whether plastic pollution, both large pieces and microplastics, poses a real ecological threat. The findings confirm negative effects on wildlife across many species and environments, underscoring that plastic pollution is not just an aesthetic problem but a genuine risk to ecosystems and the food chains humans rely on.
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.
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.
Environmental science and mental health review: final report to NERC valuing nature programme
This report reviewed connections between environmental science and mental health, identifying gaps and future research directions. The broader context includes concerns about how environmental contaminants like microplastics may contribute to psychological stress and health anxiety.
An Examination of Microplastic Pollution in Protected Areas from Outdoor Recreation
Microplastics were found in soils from protected natural areas frequently visited by outdoor recreationists, suggesting that even conservation lands and wilderness parks are not insulated from plastic pollution carried in by human visitors.
The ecological impacts of marine debris: unraveling the demonstrated evidence from what is perceived
This systematic review critically examined the evidence for ecological damage caused by marine debris, including plastic pollution. Researchers found 366 perceived environmental threats from marine debris, and when tested, 83% of those threats were confirmed through scientific studies. This large-scale confirmation of marine debris impacts reinforces concerns about microplastics harming ocean ecosystems that humans depend on for food.
Association between microplastics exposure and depressive symptoms in college students
This study found an association between microplastic exposure and depressive symptoms in college students. While the abstract provides limited detail on the methods, it suggests that microplastic exposure may be a contributing factor to mental health problems in young adults. More research is needed to understand the biological pathways through which microplastics might affect mood and brain function.
Investigating the Role of Tourists and Impact of Knowledge, Behaviour, and Attitude Towards Plastic Waste Generation
Researchers surveyed tourists to assess how their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior influence plastic waste generation at outdoor recreation sites, finding that awareness gaps drive littering and that circular economy approaches could convert tourist-generated waste into local economic opportunity.
Plastic effects on marine and freshwater environments
Researchers reviewed current literature on how plastic pollution harms marine and freshwater environments, finding that microplastics have become a primary concern across studies covering animal health, human health, and ecosystem impacts. A key gap identified is the lack of clear connections linking plastic effects across these three domains — environment, wildlife, and human health — into a unified understanding.
Reducing plastic waste by visualizing marine consequences
This study tested whether showing people images of marine plastic pollution could motivate them to reduce their own plastic waste in an office building. The results suggest that visual reminders of environmental consequences can change behavior, which is important because reducing plastic consumption at the source is one of the most effective ways to limit the microplastic contamination that eventually reaches our bodies.
Emotional State as a Key Driver of Public Preferences for Flower Color
Researchers investigated what drives public preferences for flower colors in urban landscapes using an online survey with precisely calibrated color samples. They found that emotional state was the strongest predictor of color preference, more influential than demographic or socioeconomic factors. While not directly related to microplastics, the study contributes to understanding how people perceive and value natural environments in urban settings.
Effects of Microplastics on Mental Health
This review examines the emerging evidence linking microplastic exposure to mental health outcomes, discussing proposed mechanisms including neuroinflammation, gut-brain axis disruption, and endocrine interference from plastic-associated chemicals. The authors call for dedicated human cohort studies to establish whether environmental microplastic levels contribute to psychiatric or cognitive conditions.
Why is there plastic packaging in the natural environment? Understanding the roots of our individual plastic waste management behaviours
This review explores why individuals mismanage plastic packaging waste, finding that the disconnect between discarding behavior and its visible consequences is a key factor, as is the deep historical rootedness of waste disposal habits in different cultures. The authors argue that policies to reduce plastic littering face fundamental behavioral constraints that require approaches beyond simple regulation.
Parks and Recreational Areas as Sinks of Plastic Debris in Urban Sites: The Case of Light-Density Microplastics in the City of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Researchers found that parks and recreational areas in Amsterdam act as significant sinks for light-density microplastics, with artificial turf infill, tire rubber, and film fragments as dominant types, suggesting urban green spaces accumulate substantial plastic pollution from recreational and maintenance activities.
Development and Validation of a Questionnaire Assessing Plastic Use Patterns, Knowledge, and Attitudes Toward Microplastics in Relation to Cognitive Function in Indonesia
Researchers developed and validated a questionnaire to assess plastic use patterns, microplastic knowledge, and attitudes among Indonesian adults, with a focus on potential associations with cognitive function. The study provides a validated tool for measuring public awareness of microplastic exposure in Indonesia, where plastic pollution is particularly severe, and explores the emerging concern about neurocognitive effects of microplastic exposure.
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.
Natural filters of marine microplastic pollution: implications for plants and submerged environments
Researchers reviewed how vegetated ecosystems — like wetlands and marshes — act as natural filters that trap microplastics before they flow into waterways, but found that these trapped particles can still harm soil health and plant growth by causing oxidative stress. The review highlights a critical gap: plants help protect aquatic environments from microplastic pollution while simultaneously being harmed by it themselves.
Second Life Plastic Project: Using a One Health Lens to Address Plastic Bottle Pollution
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper proposes a One Health initiative to collect and 3D-print plastic bottles into furniture as a community-scale plastic pollution reduction strategy, without investigating microplastic contamination or health effects.
Plastics on the rocks: the invisible but harmful footprint of shoe soles
This study found that shoe soles worn on a short mountain hiking trail shed significant quantities of microplastic particles, contaminating the path and surrounding vegetation. The finding reveals that recreational outdoor activities are an overlooked source of microplastic pollution even in protected natural areas.
Plastic Wetland, An investigation into provocative landscape design
This landscape design research project explores provocative design interventions that respond to plastic debris accumulation in coastal and wetland environments. It is a creative design study aimed at raising awareness about plastic fragmentation and its ecological consequences.
Beneficial Use Impairments, Degradation of Aesthetics, and Human Health: A Review
This systematic literature review examined the relationship between environmental aesthetics, ecological quality, and human health outcomes in blue and green space development programs. Researchers found that while improving aesthetics is a common management goal, few studies have adequately quantified the link between aesthetically pleasing ecologically sound environments and measurable human health benefits, identifying a critical knowledge gap.
"Psychological Intervention in Prostate Cancer: A Review of the Literature"
This literature review examines the role of psychological interventions for men with prostate cancer, focusing on cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and support groups. Researchers found that well-planned psychological programs can improve quality of life and reduce distress in cancer patients. While not directly related to microplastics, the study touches on the intersection of health outcomes and environmental sustainability in healthcare.
Societal Relations to Nature in Times of Crisis—Social Ecology’s Contributions to Interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies
This review article examined how social ecology — an interdisciplinary field — approaches the crisis of societal relationships with nature, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. It provides theoretical frameworks relevant to understanding why plastic pollution persists despite growing awareness of its harms.