RESUMO
The study evaluated the characteristics of marine litter disposed of by tourists on the Abaís beach (state of Sergipe, Brazil), during the dry (December/2017, January/2018, and February/2018) and rainy (May/2018, June/2018, and July/2018) months. Litter was collected on a Sunday of each month after the tourists left. The values of abundance (9.71 ± 2.03 items/m), weight (21.07 ± 16.04 g/m), volume (0.58 ± 0.25 L/m), richness (33 litter groups) and plastic percentage (75.07 ± 4.81%) were higher in the dry months compared to the rainy ones (2.01 ± 2.80 items/m; 5.08 ± 6.01 g/m; 0.17 ± 0.16 L/m; 22 litter groups; and 68.62 ± 5.98% of plastic, respectively). Considering the tourist importance of the Abaís beach to Sergipe state, it is crucial to develop effective cleaning actions, environmental awareness campaigns for tourists, residents and traders, as well as to establish restrictive public legal instruments to promote reduction, reuse, and recycling of the marine litter.
Assuntos
Praias , Resíduos , Brasil , Monitoramento Ambiental , Plásticos , Resíduos/análiseRESUMO
This study aimed to develop a first diagnostic of marine litter presence over four sandy beaches located on the southern coast of Sergipe, a Brazilian state, by means of four samplings, from December 2017 to September 2018. There was no distinction between village, semi-rural, and rural areas regarding litter presence. Plastic was the most abundant litter (> 70%), mainly represented by the items such as food packaging, cups, straws, cigarette butts, lids/seals, as well as fragments and monofilaments. The abundance of items collected ranged from 0.1 and 9.2 items.m-1, and the beaches were characterized from very clean to dirty. The main sources were from tourism/recreation (42.7 ± 4.8%), followed by Unidentified (34.1 ± 6.7%), and Fishing/Marine activities (16.1 ± 6.3%). In addition, we highlight the importance of the correct litter management, environmental education activities, and marine litter monitoring program in order to reduce marine litter contamination.