Survey on awareness and attitudes of secondary school students regarding plastic pollution: implications for environmental education and public health in Sharjah city, UAE

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2017-09, Vol.24 (25), p.20626-20633
• Main Authors: Hammami, Mohammad Bakri Alaa, Mohammed, Eman Qasem, Hashem, Anas Mohammad, Al-Khafaji, Mina Amer, Alqahtani, Fatima, Alzaabi, Shaikha, Dash, Nihar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Attitude; Awareness; Cross-Sectional Studies; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Education; Environment; Environmental behavior; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental education; Environmental Health; Environmental Pollutants; Environmental science; Female; Humans; Incentives; Industrial pollution; Male; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Pollution; Public Health; Random sampling; Research Article; Schools; Secondary school students; Students; Students - psychology; United Arab Emirates; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9625-x

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. Self-administered 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