Abundance and Temporal Distribution of Beach Litter on the Coast of Ceuta (North Africa, Gibraltar Strait)

Asensio-Montesinos, Francisco; Anfuso, Giorgio; Aguilar-Torrelo, María Teresa; Ramírez, Milagrosa Oliva

doi:10.3390/w13192739

Cited by 26 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…In samples 1 and 2, taken at the site of the barbecue hearths, many more solid elements were isolated than in sample 3, including charcoal and slag fragments, which are closely related to the thermal processing of food using barbecue equipment. In addition, there are fragments of metal, plastic, glass and rust associated with the consumption of barbecue food in the immediate vicinity of beverages and food packaging 34 , 35 . In addition, thermal charcoal was identified in sample 2, probably originating from charcoal briquettes contaminated with this fuel.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of thermal treatment of food using barbecue fuels on ambient air and beach sands within recreation facilities

Kuś,

Jelonek,

Jelonek

2023

Sci Rep

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Organised bathing areas located within leisure facilities, in addition to the function typical of their purpose, allow in most cases the use of their own barbecue facilities. This type of cooking of food before consumption is very popular during leisure time at the waterfront. However, cooking food on a barbecue produces fumes emitted from both the fuel being burned and the food being grilled. In addition, the fat from the grilled food falls on the hearth, contributing to the release of further toxic compounds and, in many cases, together with other exhaust fumes, causing considerable smoke and the summer smog effect. Such cumulative gases emitted by irregularly dispersed barbecues repeatedly irritate the respiratory tract of beachgoers in the area of these devices, and the residue of unburned barbecue fuel contaminates the resting area. Small pieces of charcoal of various textures tend to sink into the sand when exposed to the elements and can pose a risk to young children playing on the beach by causing choking and minor injuries. The study revealed an assumed range of exposure to dust and gases emitted from barbecuing that extended up to 40 m from the hearth. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the thermal processing of food using barbecue fuels could lead to increased contamination of beach sands from the fuel itself and food storage materials. Therefore, taking into account the studies carried out showing the adverse effects of active barbecues on beach sands and, above all, the atmospheric air and directly on beachgoers, administrators of recreational facilities should strive to concentrate these devices at a distance (up to several tens of metres) from beaches and bathing areas.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of thermal treatment of food using barbecue fuels on ambient air and beach sands within recreation facilities

Kuś,

Jelonek,

Jelonek

2023

Sci Rep

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“…Differences between surveys were also documented on other Mediterranean beaches and were linked to marine storms and river discharge, frequency and modality of cleanup operations, beach user abundance, and beach typology [39]. Numerous researchers have related the amount of litter recorded on urban beaches to local population density.…”

Section: Litter Content Versus Beach Visitors and Cleanup Operationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beach Litter Variability According to the Number of Visitors in Cádiz Beaches, SW Spain

Fernández García,

Asensio-Montesinos,

Anfuso

et al. 2024

JMSE

Self Cite

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The amount and composition of litter was evaluated during May and June 2021 at two urban beaches, i.e., La Victoria and La Cortadura, in Cádiz, SW Spain. Surveys were carried out daily in the morning and in the evening during the weekends to quantify the daily accumulation of beach litter and relate it to the number of beach users, which was assessed at around 1:00 p.m. Litter amount was also related to cleanup operations that were very mechanically and manually carried out each day very early in the morning. A total of 8108 items were collected at the two investigated sectors during the study period and beach visitors were quantified in 22 surveys. Plastic was the most common material, representing 82% in La Victoria and 68% in La Cortadura. The most common items were cigarette butts and small, hard plastic fragments. Some litter items that were hazardous to beach visitors were identified, such as broken glass. The number of visitors was positively related to the amount of litter. Significant differences were seen in the litter abundance between the morning and evening assessments since the beaches were cleaned daily and bins were available to facilitate trash disposal. Cleaning operations remove many of the litter items but always leave small quantities of small items uncollected. Efforts to prevent litter on these beaches should focus on informing visitors properly in order to avoid littering and on improving cleanup operations.

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“…it is reported that locally manufactured products may form over 90% of litter at urban beaches, while remote beaches receive 30% or less of local litter [16]. the number of litter items per 100 m of popular tourist areas or urban beaches may vary from hundreds to thousands [17], [18]. in the baltic sea, the northern baltic sea (gulf of finland, bothnian sea and northern baltic proper) is considered as the most littered region.…”

Section: Degradation Of Supmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence and Degradation of Single-Use Plastic in Coastal Area

Torn¹,

Möller-Raid²,

Martin³

2022

Int. J. EI

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Occurrence and degradatiOn Of single-use plastic in cOastal areaKaire tOrn, tiia möller-raid & geOrg martin estonian marine institute, university of tartu, estonia. abstract increasing trend of littering of coastal areas and marine environment is recognized globally. in the european union, 80-85% of marine litter is plastic, among which single-use plastic (sup) products represent 50%. the study confirmed that the primary source of sup items on urban beaches of tallinn, estonia, is direct littering by beach visitors. the level of littering is highly dependent on the intensity of beach use. in total, 1492 macrolitter items per 100 m of beach length were registered at urban beach russalka, while remarkably lower values were registered at semi-urban beach Kakumäe. the most frequently found sup items at urban beach were cigarette butts, followed by various packages and sweet wrappers. to assess how quickly the fragmentation of selected sup products takes place in the natural environment, field experiments were carried out. the degradation of disposable paper plates, biodegradable plates and biodegradable waste bags was studied in two terrestrial (open-air vs. buried in soil) and two marine (submerged in seawater above sediment vs. buried in sediment) treatments. the experiment showed that the degradation of biodegradable sup items is limited in natural environment and varied depending on the character of the material of the product and the environment it was exposed to. the studied biodegradable plates had the fastest degradation rate (4 months) and the loss of material was the highest during the first months. in open-air conditions, the degradation process was the slowest. for the biodegradable plastic bags, noticeable decomposition took place only in the seawater above sediment; in other environments, the degradation was slower. therefore, to decrease the impact of plastic, instead of using biodegradable material, the guidance of consumers toward reducing, reusing and recycling of plastic should be promoted.

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Abundance and Temporal Distribution of Beach Litter on the Coast of Ceuta (North Africa, Gibraltar Strait)

Cited by 26 publications

References 69 publications

Effects of thermal treatment of food using barbecue fuels on ambient air and beach sands within recreation facilities

Effects of thermal treatment of food using barbecue fuels on ambient air and beach sands within recreation facilities

Beach Litter Variability According to the Number of Visitors in Cádiz Beaches, SW Spain

Occurrence and Degradation of Single-Use Plastic in Coastal Area

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