RT Journal Article
T1 Lay people and experts' risk perception of pharmaceuticals in the environment in Southwestern Europe
A1 Lima, María Luisa
A1 Luis, Silvia
A1 Poggio Lagares, Lucía
A1 Aragonés Tapia, Juan Ignacio
A1 Courtier, Audrey
A1 Roig, Benoit
A1 Calas-Blanchard, Carole
AB This study aims to contribute to the risk management of pharmaceuticals in the environment, illustrating risk perceptions of lay people and experts from Southwestern Europe (Portugal, Spain, and France). The psychometric paradigm was applied to assess risk regarding four hazards: pharmaceuticals in the environment (i.e., broadly framed), pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater, pharmaceuticals in drinking water, and pharmaceuticals in crops. Two factors explained most of the variance of risk assessments: dread and unknown. The dread factor combined immediacy and severity of effects, and the old nature of hazards. Pharmaceuticals in crops and drinking water scored higher in this factor, as did experts and French respondents. The unknown factor differentiated between the assessments of lay people and experts. Lay people assessed the hazards as being more known by those who were exposed but less known by science; and exposure was perceived as more voluntary and the risk as more controllable. Even though pharmaceutical residues are present in much higher concentrations in treated wastewater, risk assessments were overall higher for drinking water and crops. Moreover, data also revealed risk management preferences: whereas lay people preferred technological and awareness-type measures, experts preferred measures to improve the disposal of pharmaceutical waste and health-type measures.
PB Elsevier
SN 0273-2300
YR 2020
FD 2020-11-09
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/98201
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/98201
LA eng
NO Lima, M. L., Luis, S., Poggio, L., Aragonés, J. I., Courtier, A., Roig, B., & Blanchard, C. (2020). Lay people and experts' risk perception of pharmaceuticals in the environment in Southwestern Europe. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 117.
DS Docta Complutense
RD 6 abr 2025