Risk perception and access to environmental information in four areas in Italy affected by natural or anthropogenic pollution

A human biomonitoring (HBM) survey in four areas affected by natural or anthropogenic arsenic pollution was
conducted in Italy within the framework of the SEpiAs project. A questionnaire, including the exploration of
risk perception (RP) regarding environmental hazards and access to and trust in information, was administered
to 282 subjects stratified by area, gender and age.
The surveywas designed to investigate howpopulations living in polluted areas could adopt prevention-oriented
habits, fostered by the awareness of existing risks and, in addition, how increased knowledge of RP and information
flows could support researchers in identifying recommendations, and presenting and disseminating HBM
results.
This study characterizes the four areas in terms of RP and access to and trust in environmental information, and
provides insights into the influence of RP and environmental information on food consumption.
For the data analysis, a combined random forest (RF) and logistic regression approach was carried out. RF was
applied to the variables derived from the questionnaire in order to identify the most important in terms of the
aims defined. Associations were then tested using Fisher's exact test and assessed with logistic regression in
order to adjust for confounders.
Results showed that the perception of and personal exposure to atmospheric and water pollution, hazardous industries
andwaste, hazardous material transportation andwaste was higher in geographical areas characterized
by anthropogenic pollution. Citizens living in industrial areas appeared to be aware of environmental risks and
had more confidence in environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) than in public authorities. In
addition, they reported an insufficient circulation of information.
Concerning the influence of RP and environmental information on food consumption, a high perception of personal
exposure to atmospheric pollution and hazardous industries was associated with a lower consumption
of local fish.
In conclusion, different RPs and information flowpatterns were observed in areaswith arsenic of natural origin or
in industrial contexts. These findings may be useful for targeted risk communication plans in support of riskmanagement
strategies.