Water is essential to human life around the world, but there are numerous threats to its quality both internationally and nationally. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to examine public perceptions of water-related environmental concerns in northwest Ohio. In fall 2015, nine focus groups on environmental health conditions were conducted with Lucas County, Ohio residents. Each 90-min focus group was videotaped and professionally transcribed to maximize data capture and facilitate data analysis. Colaizzi’s (1978) method of content analysis was applied to make sense of the participants’ environmental concerns related to water. The majority of the 93 participants were white females between the ages of 40 and 59. A do-not-drink advisory related to a harmful algal bloom in the summer of 2014 and the possibility of a future bloom were still prominent in residents’ minds that affected their perceptions and behaviors 1 year later. The emergent themes included: (1) avoiding the use of tap water due to concerns about water quality, (2) mourning the loss of a precious resource and their childhood recreational activities, (3) believing there are financial impacts associated with water problems, (4) distrusting the actions and decisions of persons in authority, (5) wanting to stop fighting about who is to blame and determine the problem’s real cause, and (6) desiring actions and planning by authorities to prevent future problems. Understanding public perceptions of water-related environmental concerns can inform practitioners worldwide on successful approaches to restoring trust, educating about and communicating risk, and planning for future issues.

中文翻译：

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伊利湖有害藻华一年后对俄亥俄州西北部与水相关的环境问题的看法

水对世界各地的人类生活至关重要，但在国际和国内，其质量面临着许多威胁。此辅助数据分析的目的是检查公众对俄亥俄州西北部与水相关的环境问题的看法。2015 年秋季，与俄亥俄州卢卡斯县的居民开展了九个环境健康状况焦点小组。每个 90 分钟的焦点小组都进行了录像和专业转录，以最大限度地获取数据并促进数据分析。Colaizzi (1978) 的内容分析方法被用于理解参与者对与水相关的环境问题的关注。93 名参与者中的大多数是年龄在 40 至 59 岁之间的白人女性。与 2014 年夏季有害藻华和未来藻华可能性有关的禁酒建议仍然在居民的脑海中突出，影响了他们 1 年后的看法和行为。紧急主题包括：(1) 由于担心水质而避免使用自来水，(2) 哀悼宝贵资源的丧失及其童年娱乐活动，(3) 相信存在与水问题相关的财务影响， (4) 不信任当权者的行为和决定， (5) 想要停止争论谁应该受到指责并确定问题的真正原因，以及 (6) 希望当局采取行动和计划以防止未来出现问题。