Survey on awareness and attitudes of secondary school students regarding plastic pollution: implications for environmental education and public health in Sharjah city, UAE Mohammad Bakri Alaa Hammami, Eman Qasem Mohammed, Anas Mohammad Hashem, Mina Amer AlKhafaji, Fatima Alqahtani, Shaikha Alzaabi, et al. Environmental Science and Pollution Research ISSN 0944-1344 Environ Sci Pollut Res DOI 10.1007/s11356-017-9625-x
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Author's personal copy Environ Sci Pollut Res DOI 10.1007/s11356-017-9625-x
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Survey on awareness and attitudes of secondary school students regarding plastic pollution: implications for environmental education and public health in Sharjah city, UAE Mohammad Bakri Alaa Hammami 1 & Eman Qasem Mohammed 1 & Anas Mohammad Hashem 1 & Mina Amer Al-Khafaji 1 & Fatima Alqahtani 1 & Shaikha Alzaabi 1 & Nihar Dash 2
Received: 3 November 2016 / Accepted: 26 June 2017 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2017
Abstract Since the industrial revolution in the 1800s, plastic pollution is becoming a global reality. This study aims to assess knowledge and attitude about plastic pollution among secondary school students in Sharjah city, United Arab Emirates. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 students in 6 different secondary schools in Sharjah city. Selfadministered questionnaires were distributed through probability stratified random sampling method between February and April 2016. Majority of the population understands how harmful plastic wastes are to the environment (85.5%). However, the students’ mean knowledge score was 53%, with females (P < 0.01), grades 11 and 12 (P = 0.024), and students whose mothers were more educated (P = 0.014) being more knowledgeable and inclined towards pro-environmental behavior. Yet, all students showed tendency to be involved in the fighting against this dilemma. Strategies which address deficiencies, provide incentives for change, and assure governmental support along with environmental education are needed to bridge the information gap and enhance opportunities to adopt pro-environmental behaviors.
Keywords Plastics . Pollution . Environmental awareness . Public health . Secondary school
Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues * Mohammad Bakri Alaa Hammami
[email protected]
1
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Post Box No. 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
2
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Sharjah University, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Introduction It is well known that plastics—as inexpensive yet durable materials—have been widely used globally in all aspects of daily life and have facilitated the advances of the society by various means. They have been beneficial in many fields, including transportation, telecommunication, food, clothing, and healthcare industries (Andrady and Neal 2009). According to North and Halden (2013), the annual production of plastic around the world has exceeded 300 million metric tons.
Plastic pollution: where the journey starts This increased production and widespread utilization, however, has its own negative impacts on the globe because a lot of disposed plastic products end up becoming litter, waste, and pollution (Greber 2015). According to Raman Sharma & Sharma (2014), the one to blame is not the plastic but the misuse of the human beings to plastic. Pandey (2016) found that each of the plastic categories has a different composition and therefore carries its own harms on human life. It is believed that some plastic products are resistant to degradation under the effect of sun and/or microorganisms and can persist in the environment for thousands of years, facilitating continuous exposure to ingredients in plastics and increasing the risk of their accumulation, which gives the chance for their harmful effects to appear (Stevens 2002; UNEP 2017). These effects include destruction of the habitat’s natural beauty (Adane and Muleta 2011), injury and death of wild and sea animals (Verghese et al. 2006; Gregory 2009), and blockage of sewerage systems which assists the spread of many infectious diseases (Ellis et al. 2005). In addition, the process of plastic production contributes to the global warming and air pollution (Verghese et al. 2006; Ellis et al. 2005).
Author's personal copy Environ Sci Pollut Res
Marine environment and microplastics: a growing concern Plastic wastes were documented as a problem in the marine environment since the 1970s. Only recently, however, has it been identified as a global threat (Eriksen et al. 2013). Petroleum-based plastics have stable carbon-hydrogen bonds, which accounts for its durability and resistance to environmental degradation. Due to its strong nature, plastic wastes accumulate in rivers, lakes, and oceans causing all sorts of problems to the marine life. Microplastics are a notable source of marine plastic pollution in the recent years (Wu et al. 2016). Microplastics are small fragments (
