National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, India.
National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, India.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Mar 25;866:161363. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161363. Epub 2023 Jan 5.
Anthropogenic marine litter (AML), mainly plastic, is a global concern that is persistent and widespread. To prevent and mitigate this threat, we need to understand the magnitude and source of AML. There is limited knowledge about AML pollution on the Indian Coast. In this context, the present study examined the distribution, abundance, typology, and beach quality based on AML along 22 beaches on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Sea. A total of 4911 AML items were classified into 9 categories, weighing 16.79 kg, and retrieved from a total area of 8000 m. The mean abundance and weight of AML in the current study were 0.45 ± 0.34 items/m and 1.53 ± 0.92 g/m, respectively. Thottapally showed the most abundant AML among the studied beaches with 0.96 items/m, followed by Azheekkal with 0.73 items/m. Plastic, being the most common item, accounts for 77.6 % of all items and has a mean density of 0.35 items/m comprising hard plastic (22 %), thermocol (13 %), food wrappers (7 %), cigarette butts (7 %), plastic rope (6 %), and plastic cutlery (6 %). Hazardous anthropogenic litter (HAL) was maximum at Thottapally (17.71 %; 85 out of 480 items collected). Based on the cleanliness of beaches, they are graded "moderately clean" (63 %) by the General Index (GI), "clean" (54 %), and "moderately clean" (40 %) as calculated by the Clean Coast Index (CCI). Hazardous Anthropogenic Beach Litter Index (HABLI) classifies 72 % of beaches as "moderately safe", while the Environmental Status Index (ESI) rates 68 % of beaches as "mediocre". Besides, model simulations demonstrated the pathways of AML propagation, which correlate to the littoral and coastal current flow patterns over the region. Land-based activities were the crucial factors influencing AML distribution. The study highlighted the need for effective regional litter management strategies, policy instruments for the litter impact pathways, economic, regulatory, and behavioural management tools, which were also discussed.
人为海洋垃圾（AML）主要是塑料，是一个全球性的问题，具有持久性和广泛性。为了防止和减轻这一威胁，我们需要了解 AML 的规模和来源。关于印度海岸的 AML 污染，我们的了解有限。在这种情况下，本研究检查了阿拉伯海东南海岸 22 个海滩上基于 AML 的分布、丰度、类型和海滩质量。总共收集了 4911 个 AML 物品，分为 9 类，重 16.79 公斤，总面积为 8000 平方米。本研究中 AML 的平均丰度和重量分别为 0.45±0.34 个/m 和 1.53±0.92 g/m。在研究的海滩中，Thottapally 的 AML 最为丰富，为 0.96 个/m，其次是 Azheekkal，为 0.73 个/m。塑料是最常见的物品，占所有物品的 77.6%，平均密度为 0.35 个/m，包括硬塑料（22%）、保丽龙（13%）、食品包装纸（7%）、烟蒂（7%）、塑料绳（6%）和塑料餐具（6%）。在 Thottapally，危险人为垃圾（HAL）最多（占收集到的 480 个物品的 17.71%，即 85 个）。根据海滩的清洁度，它们的综合指数（GI）被评为“中度清洁”（63%），清洁海岸指数（CCI）的评分分别为“清洁”（54%）和“中度清洁”（40%）。危险人为海滩垃圾指数（HABLI）将 72%的海滩归类为“中度安全”，而环境状况指数（ESI）将 68%的海滩评为“中等”。此外，模型模拟表明了 AML 传播的途径，这些途径与该地区的滨岸和沿海潮流模式相关。陆基活动是影响 AML 分布的关键因素。该研究强调了需要采取有效的区域垃圾管理策略、针对垃圾影响途径的政策工具、经济、监管和行为管理工具，这些也在讨论中。
