Assessment of Environmental Attitudes and Risk Perceptions among University Students in Mersin, Turkey
Table 2
Environmental Risk Perception Scale mean scores of students.
Risk items
Score Mean ± SD
(1) Acid rain caused by the deposition of acid-producing sulfur dioxide into streams and on forests, usually from the burning of coal
(2) Global warming caused by excessive amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane that may lead to weather extremes, such as temperature increases and flooding
(3) The ozone hole caused by ozone-depleting substances like refrigerants (e.g., freon) that reduce the protective ozone layer and lead to an increase in ultraviolet radiation from the sun
(4) Drilling for oil from offshore drilling platforms along the coasts and the transportation of oil and petroleum products (e.g., pipelines, tank trucks, and supertankers) that may result in spills
(5) Hazardous waste sites which may release toxic chemicals into streams and estuaries and landscapes
(6) Radiation: release of radioactive materials associated with nuclear power generation
(7) Persistent and toxic organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, DDT, dioxin, toluene, and benzene) that are discharged into surface streams or into the air from chemical manufacturing plants
(8) Heavy metals like lead, zinc, and cadmium released into surface waters from mining operations and mercury released from the burning of coal
(9) Pesticides: insecticides used to treat insect pests, herbicides used to treat weeds, and rodenticides used to kill animal pests
(10) Eutrophication: the overenrichment of waters due to nitrogen fertilizer runoff and nitrogen oxide deposition in watersheds. This may lead to algal blooms and depletion of dissolved oxygen in rivers and coastal waters
(11) Sewage: untreated sewage dumped from cruise ships and treated sewage from waste water treatment plants discharged into streams
(12) The growing of genetically engineered crops (e.g., corn), also known as genetically modified organisms or GMOs
(13) Invasive species: species that are not native to a specific location and have a tendency to spread, causing damage to the local environmental components
(14) Clear-cut logging of large tracts of forests for pulp, paper, and wood products
(15) Destruction and fragmentation of wildlife habitat due to urbanization and suburban sprawl
(16) The damming of rivers for electric power generation, flood control, navigation, and recreation
(17) Destruction and loss of wetlands by residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or recreational development
(18) Surface runoff (also known as nonpoint pollution) contaminated with agricultural chemicals and sediment
(19) Overgrazing of range and pasture lands due to excessive numbers of livestock for a specific area
