Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Michigan State University, 404 Wilson Rd, Room 306, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St, Room A238, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
J Environ Manage. 2020 May 1;261:110144. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110144. Epub 2020 Feb 1.
Successful water recycling initiatives depend on public acceptance. In this study, we compared risk percpetions of water labeled as recycled or reclaimed.We recruited 1264 subjects in an online panel (Qualtrics) and randomly assigned them either treatment (recycled or reclaimed) water and asked about the contents and perceived risk. Participants in the reclaimed condition were more likely to perceive the water to have harmful ingredients compared to the recycled condition. The odds of direct use acceptance for those in the recycled condition are 1.41 times (or 41%) more likely than those in the reclaimed condition. Similar results were found for indirect uses. A major finding of this study is that terminology influences the perceived contaminants and risk of reused water. Prior studies have found strong evidence that the way reused water is communicated can influence public perception. Policy impilcations favor the use of recycled water, likely due to the positive connotation recycling has in the U.S. today..
成功的水再利用计划取决于公众的接受程度。在这项研究中，我们比较了标签为再利用或再生的水的风险感知。我们在一个在线小组（Qualtrics）中招募了 1264 名受试者，并随机分配他们接受处理（再利用或再生）水，并询问其内容和感知风险。与再利用水相比，再生水条件下的参与者更有可能认为水中含有有害成分。再利用水条件下的直接使用接受率比再生水条件下的接受率高出 1.41 倍（或 41%）。间接使用也有类似的结果。这项研究的一个主要发现是，术语会影响对再利用水的感知污染物和风险。先前的研究发现，再利用水的沟通方式会强烈影响公众的看法。政策影响有利于使用再生水，这可能是因为回收在今天的美国具有积极的内涵。
