Journal
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
Volume 407, Issue 21, Pages 5455-5464Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.06.031
Keywords
Drinking water; Tap water; Bottled water; Risk perception; Quality perception; Organoleptics
Categories
Funding
- Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian
- British Council
- Leverhulme Trust
- European Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
There is a growing effort to provide drinking water that has the trust of consumers, but the processes underlying the perception of drinking water quality and risks are still not fully understood. This paper intends to explore the factors involved in public perception of the quality and risks of drinking water. This purpose was addressed with a cross-national mixed-method approach, based on quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus groups) data collected in the UK and Portugal. The data were analysed using several methods, including structural equation models and generalised linear models. Results suggest that perceptions of water quality and risk result from a complex interaction of diverse factors. The estimation of water quality is mostly influenced by satisfaction with organoleptic properties (especially flavour), risk perception, contextual cues, and perceptions of chemicals (lead, chlorine, and hardness). Risk perception is influenced by organoleptics, perceived water chemicals, external information, past health problems, and trust in water suppliers, among other factors. The use of tap and bottled water to drink was relatively well explained by regression analysis. Several cross-national differences were found and the implications are discussed. Suggestions for future research are provided. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available