Microplastics—How and What Do University Students Know about the Emerging Environmental Sustainability Issue?

Abstract

For a successful transition towards sustainability, people need information and knowledge to understand the complex interconnectedness of social, natural, and social-natural systems. In order for people to be able to take a position on a number of environmental and social issues, and make decisions arising from these challenges, they need to use environmental literacy. We have come up with a tool to answer the question of how students access information about new environmental topics in the media, and how they transform it into environmental knowledge. Almost 400 students from seven Czech universities took part in a combined knowledge test and context questionnaire on microplastics (information based on the previous analysis of selected major web media). More than a third of students tested identified mass media as their main source of knowledge. Most students, however, already had some simple partial knowledge about the topic—the level of commonly discussed information that students remember and then just reproduce. Our statistically evaluated results may help teachers improve the quality of their instruction, curriculum, and subsequently students’ achievement and environmental civic competencies. The results present original findings complementing international research on the role of education and mass media in environmental sustainability knowledge.

Lighting Up for Learning─Fluorescence Analysis of Microplastic Particles by Secondary School Students Using Nile Red

“…In the presurvey, students defined microplastics as small plastic particles. The knowledge gaps regarding the sources and environmental and health impacts we found were the same as reported in the literature. − In the feedback form, the identification of microplastics using this protocol received positive feedback from the students (see Figure ).…”

“…A successful transition to sustainability requires an informed society . It is well-known that microplastics are small plastic particles, but there are still knowledge gaps regarding their sources, occurrence, and impacts. − We aimed to address this gap with input designed on this topic. There is also a difference in how media communicate the risks induced by microplastics and how science communicates those facts .…”

“…Thus, a major part of the public knows that microplastics are small plastic particles with potentially negative effects. However, there are knowledge gaps regarding sources and occurrence of microplastic particles and their effects and risks on human health. − …”

“…It is usually known that in marine ecosystems this pollution is rather abundant, but the public often underestimates the heavy contamination of terrestrial ecosystems with plastic articles. ,, Microplastics have also been detected in the human body, and recently it was shown that they have some concerning effects on human health . As a consequence, research on the analysis of microplastic particles is rapidly growing, steadily increasing our knowledge of the pollution issue.…”

Towards Microplastic Reduction Within Institutions

“…Globally, universities, institutions, and companies are aiming to reduce the use of single-use plastics due to the fact that plastic litter and plastic degradation cause negative impacts on the environment. Recent publications releasing research conducted on university students on the issue of microplastics revealed that most students from the Czech Republic have a partial knowledge of the topic (Janoušková et al, 2020), while students in Germany associated microplastics with negative consequences (Raab & Bogner, 2021). However, a Chinese study on public awareness in Shanghai revealed that the majority of the respondents were unfamiliar with microplastic pollution (Deng et al, 2020).…”