Plastic reinforced fiberglass- an addition to beach litter (original) (raw)
Comments on marine litter in oceans, seas and beaches: Characteristics and impacts
2015
Marine litter is observed along shorelines, pelagic, benthic marine and lake systems all around the globe. On beaches, litter creates aesthetic and related economic problems because a clean beach is one of the most important characteristics of a seaside resort required by visitors. Litter can reach the marine environment from marine or land activities but it is estimated that 80% originates from land-based sources. The marinebased sources of litter include all types of seagoing vessel and offshore installations, the most abundant plastic debris in the oceans being derelict (lost or improperly discarded) fishing gear. Most of marine litter is composed by plastics due to their greater durability and persistence, combined with plastic rising production and low rates of recovery. Special importance is linked to microplastics because their ubiquity, persistence, mechanical effects on biota and the ecosystem because of ingestion by organisms and their toxic potential. As plastics degrade they can release toxic chemicals initially incorporated during their manufacturing or persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals sorbed to their surfaces in the environment. Such toxins can disrupt endocrine functions and cause harmful reproductive and developmental effects in aquatic animals.
Study of Beach Litter on Remote Island, Case Study: Ainoshima Island, Japan
Journal of community based environmental engineering and management, 2023
Ainoshima Island is a Remote Island located north of Kyushu Island, which is also known as a popular tourist attraction named Cat Island. The island is inhabited by a small population but is frequented by tourists to enjoy nature and fishing. The coastline is in the form of cliffs and sandy beaches, but there is much marine debris on the sandy beaches. In addition, its location allows waste from the surrounding area to be carried by currents to this island. This research examines the diversity of categories and types of macroplastic litter trapped on the sandy beach of Ainoshima Island. Survey transects were conducted in the spring of 2023 via visual observation based on a survey method developed by NOAA in 2012. The survey results were then categorized based on a photo guide database from the OSPAR Maritime Area for Active Monitoring of Marine Debris on the Beach. Data on the types of waste found are divided into artificial polymer materials (plastic), rubber, cloth, paper/cardboard, processed/finished wood, metal, glass, and ceramics. As a result, the plastic category is the dominant category of the total type of waste trapped in sandy beach areas.
Beach Litter Assessment: Critical Issues and the Path Forward
Sustainability, 2022
Studies analyzing large-scale patterns or long-term trends in the amounts and composition of beach litter are often based on the analysis of several small-scale studies, which may provide an inaccurate picture if the methods and approaches used in those studies are not directly comparable. Moreover, most beach-litter review studies do not evaluate how the results are affected by a number of factors. Therefore, this paper analyzes empirical results from 62 beach-litter (BL) assessment studies published in the last decade (years 2010–2020) in peer-reviewed international journals. Both the results on beach litter (origin, composition, and density) and the utility of those findings to coastal managers are analyzed and discussed. The paper identifies strengths and weaknesses of different research designs, overall compatibility among the results of studies, and identification and means of eliminating those aspects that cause incompatibilities, inconsistencies, and high variability of data that cause low reliability of the results, among other issues. The results indicate that a global picture based on a number of small-scale studies cannot be drawn due to incompatibilities in sampling protocols and presentation of results, data analysis and interpretation, spatial and temporal differences, and the lack of understanding of factors influencing BL. This paper offers a critical view of many aspects of (BL) research in order to bring them to researchers’ attention, at the same time recognizing the importance of previously published studies in making significant advancements in this field. Finally, it is also a call to move from limited data collecting and presentation in peer-reviewed journals to experimental designs, large data analyses, and testing of methods and solutions to the BL issue to advance understanding of beach-litter issues. Keywords: beach; litter; debris; marine; coastal pollution; coastal management
Marine Litter Causes , impacts and potential solutions
2015
Marine litter or debris describes any solid material that has found its way to the marine environment whether via transportation by rivers, drainage overflow and sewage systems, by wind or through deliberate disposal. Besides posing substantial problems for the environment and human health, it also bears great adverse effects on a country’s socio-economic situation. Particularly the fishing and tourism industries are affected by economic losses caused by marine pollution. As a result of marine debris’ potential to travel long distances, also remote places are affected by its pollution, making marine litter and its prevention an issue of global importance.
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2003
Ak00000 OIGMAN-PSZCZOL, S.S. and CREED, J.C. 2007. Quantification and classification of marine litter on beaches along ArmaqAo dos Bdzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Journal of Coastal Research, 23(2), 421-428. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.
Composition and Distribution of Beach Debris in Orange County, California
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2001
Many studies have quanti®ed debris collected on beaches around the world. Only a few of those studies have been conducted in the United States, and they are largely limited to semi-quantitative eorts performed as part of volunteer clean-up activities. This study quanti®es the distribution and composition of beach debris by sampling 43 strati®ed random sites on the Orange County, California coast, from August to September 1998. We estimated that approximately 106 million items, weighing 12 metric tons, occur on Orange County beaches. The most abundant items were pre-production plastic pellets, foamed plastics, and hard plastics. Debris density on the remote rocky shoreline was greater than that on high-use sandy beaches for most debris items. This ®nding partially re¯ects the periodic clean-up of high-use beaches by local municipalities, and also indicates that a high percentage of the observed debris was transported to the site from waterborne sources. Ó
Daily Accumulation and Impacts of Marine Litter on The Shores of
2017
West coast of Selayar facing solid marine litter during west monsoon period December until March, marine litter come from floating litter, carried by sea surface current and deposited along the west coast. Marine litter deposited on the west coast affected social, economic and ecological. This study aims to determine type, weight, density and distribution of marine litter; the impact of litter on water quality; the impact of economic, social and environmental ecosystems. Retrieved data using line transect at 7 observation points. Litter size were observed (> 2.5 cm) or macro litter. Floating litter and daily incresing of litters were also analyzed. Inorganic waste density is 14.3 ± 2.97 items/m 2 for the number of pieces and 564.8 ± 196.1 g/m 2 for waste weight. Daily accumulation was about 1 445 ± 1 743 g/m/day, the number of pieces 14.3 ± 8 item/m/day, cubication 0.0187 ± 0.019 m 3 /m/day. The impacts on seagrass and biota such as broken leaves, crushed and organism rafting on ...
Beach litter dynamics on Mediterranean coasts: Distinguishing sources and pathways
Marine pollution bulletin, 2018
We assessed amounts, composition and net accumulation rates every ~15days of beach macro litter (≥2.5cm) on 4 Mediterranean beaches, on Corfu island, N. Ionian Sea, taking into account natural and anthropogenic drivers. Average net accumulation rate on all beaches was found 142±115N/100m/15d. By applying a Generalized Linear Model (GzLM) it was shown that sea transport is the dominant pathway affecting the amount and variability in beach litter loadings. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on compositional data and indicator items discerned two more pathways of beach litter, i.e. in situ litter from beach goers and wind and/or runoff transport of litter from land. By comparing the PCA results to those from a simple item to source attribution, it is shown that regardless their source litter items arrive at beaches from various pathways. Our data provide baseline knowledge for designing monitoring strategies and for setting management targets.