Interventions of citizen science for mitigation and management of plastic pollution: Understanding sustainable development goals, policies, and regulations.

Autor: Sinha RK; School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Bihar, 803116, India., Kumar R; Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. Electronic address: rakesh.hydrology@gmail.com., Phartyal SS; School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Bihar, 803116, India. Electronic address: shyamphartyal@gmail.com., Sharma P; Department of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, School of Engineering and Technology, Nagaland University, Meriema, Nagaland, 797004, India.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2024 Dec 10; Vol. 955, pp. 176621. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 10.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176621
Abstrakt: Plastic pollution in the natural environment has been overlooked, which leads to potential risks to human health and wildlife. This paper provides an overview on citizen science approach to mitigate and manage plastic pollution in natural environments. Also, this paper highlights the importance of citizen science in raising public awareness of environmental issues and promoting sustainable practices. Case studies and different projects, such as "Plastic Pirates", "Litterati", "Trash Hunter", "International Pellat Watch", and many more projects on the role of citizen scientists are summarized, which aims to monitor and collect plastic resin pellets from different ecosystems, for example, beaches, seas, and rivers and also engage various stakeholders, for example, citizen scientists, students, academic and research organizations, non-profits, government agencies, industry, and local communities. Additionally, this paper discusses different methodologies, such as surveys and sampling approaches, using mobile apps, instruments and kits to collect information on plastic pollution. Importantly, it discusses the need for global partnerships and policies to address plastic waste management and prevent conflict. Likewise, this review emphasizes the citizen sciences and impacts of plastics on both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to conserve, preserve, and monitor biodiversity through citizen participation. This study also highlights the significance of community involvement, such as local, coastal, marginalized, or vulnerable communities, in environmental research and the potential benefits of citizen science programs. Overall, this paper concludes with insights into citizen science as a valuable resource tool for researchers, policymakers, and the public interested in understanding and addressing the problem of plastic pollution.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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