Dr Ben Williams Ben3.Williams@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Research Fellow in Air Quality Management
Embedding citizens within airborne microplastic and microfibre research
Williams, Ben; De Vito, Laura; Margarida Sardo, Ana; Pringle, Kirsty; Hansen, Mark; Taylor, Mark; Lamb-Riddell, Kathryn; Laggan, Sophie; Cox, Tim; Radford, Freya; Hayes, Enda
Authors
Dr Laura De Vito Laura.Devito@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Research Fellow in Air Quality Management
Dr Margarida Sardo Margarida.Sardo@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Research Fellow in Science Communication
Kirsty Pringle
Mark Hansen Mark.Hansen@uwe.ac.uk
Professor of Machine Vision and Machine Learning
Mark Taylor
Kathryn Lamb-Riddell
Sophie Laggan
Dr Timothy Cox Timothy.Cox@uwe.ac.uk
Research Director
Freya Radford
Enda Hayes Enda.Hayes@uwe.ac.uk
Prof in Air Quality & Carbon Management/School Director (Research & Enterprise)
Abstract
Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment but their presence in air is less well understood. Homes are likely a key source of airborne microplastics and microfibres to the environment owing to the frequent use and storage of plastics and textiles within them. Studying their presence, concentration and distribution in these environments is difficult without the participation of citizens due to accessibility challenges. Few studies have examined the intricacies of the prevalence of indoor microplastics and microfibres or the link between indoor exposure and behavioural and regulatory approaches that could reduce their concentrations. The application of a quintuple innovation helix framework, within which a co-creative citizen science research methodology is applied, provides an opportunity for citizens to shape the scientific method, ensuring that methods are accessible and appropriate for widespread use and designed by the citizen, for the citizen. Exploring behaviours and motivations in plastic and textile use by citizens with industry may reduce the generation of these particles. Future studies should consider the importance of citizen inclusion when designing research strategies for measuring and reducing microplastic concentrations in homes, enabling a nuanced understanding of their generation and distribution, facilitating the development of appropriate behavioural, industrial and regulatory messaging and mitigative measures.
Citation
Williams, B., De Vito, L., Margarida Sardo, A., Pringle, K., Hansen, M., Taylor, M., …Hayes, E. (2023). Embedding citizens within airborne microplastic and microfibre research. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, 1(e11), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2023.11
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Jun 29, 2023 |
Online Publication Date | Jul 10, 2023 |
Publication Date | Jul 10, 2023 |
Deposit Date | Jul 7, 2023 |
Publicly Available Date | Aug 3, 2023 |
Journal | Cambridge Prisms: Plastics |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 1 |
Issue | e11 |
Pages | 1-5 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2023.11 |
Public URL | https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10910105 |
Publisher URL | https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-plastics |
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Embedding citizens within airborne microplastic and microfibre research
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