We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Citizen science against the plastic soup: background, motivation and expectations of volunteers studying plastic pollution on Dutch riverbanks
ClearLongitudinal Study of Motivation, Attitude, and Knowledge of Citizen Scientists Monitoring Plastic Pollution On Dutch Riverbanks
Researchers conducted a longitudinal study of 403 citizen scientists participating in the Dutch Clean Rivers riverbank plastic monitoring project between 2017 and 2021, finding that project action and environmental motivations increased significantly within the first year while knowledge of scientific research methods also improved.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Citizen science sampling programs as a technique for monitoring microplastic pollution: results, lessons learned and recommendations for working with volunteers for monitoring plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems
Volunteers monitored microplastic contamination along 550 km of the Ottawa River in Canada using a standardized method, finding microplastics at almost every sampling site. Citizen science programs like this show promise for scaling up microplastic monitoring at low cost.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
The potential contribution of citizen science data in the study of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distributions
Researchers analyzed citizen science data from the Big Microplastic Survey to assess the potential contribution of volunteer-collected observations to understanding coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distribution patterns, evaluating data quality and spatial coverage relative to conventional scientific monitoring.
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.
Disentangling Variability in Riverbank Macrolitter Observations
Researchers analyzed two years of citizen science observations of riverbank litter across over 200 locations in the Dutch Rhine-Meuse delta. They found that while observer bias was minimal, weather and river flow conditions explained some variation in litter counts, though the majority of variability remained unexplained. The study suggests that macrolitter dynamics in rivers are complex and likely driven by multiple factors beyond what current monitoring approaches can fully capture.
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.
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.
Using citizen science to understand floating plastic debris distribution and abundance: A case study from the North Cornish coast (United Kingdom).
This citizen science study used a standardized methodology to monitor floating plastic debris off the Cornish coast of the UK, finding microplastic concentrations comparable to or higher than other European coastal regions. The study demonstrates that citizen science can generate useful, standardized data on plastic pollution in coastal waters.
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.
The Contribution of Citizen Scientists to the Monitoring of Marine Litter
Researchers compared 40 citizen science marine litter monitoring studies with 40 professional science studies, finding that citizen science projects have mainly focused on beach surveys and successfully generated large-scale distribution data, while professional studies have contributed more to composition analysis and ecological impact assessment. The review highlights the complementary strengths of both approaches and the value of citizen participation in long-term litter monitoring.