• Journal of Science Education
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.223-236
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate pre-service elementary teachers' awareness on the sources of microplastics. The participants were 75 male and 91 female undergraduates. A 15-item survey questionnaire was developed based on prior researches regarding microplastics emission sources and were modified through expert review and preliminary research. The survey results show that over 80% of the respondents had heard of microplastics before through news, internet, TV, etc. However, they tended not to be aware that things such as lab coats, wet tissue, dust protective mask, or paper cup were made of microplastics-causing substances. For the questions on the expected situation of microplastics contamination, the frequency of their choices were relatively low in 'Tires of cars running are worn out' and 'The gum stuck to the floor becomes smaller.' These results show that many of them were not aware that synthetic fiber or synthetic rubber was one of the microplastics emission sources. Gender differences were found in the attitudes toward microplastics problems. Female students are more interested in the issues and are more willing to participate in the solution, and recognize the need for more education on microplastics. The implications and future directions for science education were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.731-736
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• 2021

Oil fences effectively prevent the spread of oil spilled in the sea, thereby reducing the damage to the marine environment. However, the fence is damaged by oil and structures at the accident site and is discarded. When incinerated disposal method for discarded fences, fine dust, and harmful materials are generated. Moreover, as a part of the damaged fence is dumped into the sea, it may cause secondary environmental pollution, such as microplastics. Therefore, in this study, durability was measured using the most common solid foam type oil fences. As a result, the reduction rate of after five days of contact was 13 % in seawater and 3 % in oil, affected by temperature changes. Thus, the durability of the fence should be improved because it is exposed to seawater and oil and affected by wind, light, and waves depending on the weather conditions. Therefore, we suggest a method to improve the oil fence inspection to strengthen the durability of the fence's fabric part.