Macrodebris and microplastics from beaches in Slovenia

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Marine Biology
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Marine debris is a pervasive global issue with detrimental impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms.
• Plastic pollution, in particular, poses a significant threat due to its persistence and ubiquity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the quantity and quality of beach macrodebris and microplastics in relation to tourism in Slovenia.
• To assess the influence of tourism activities on marine debris accumulation on coastlines.
• To provide baseline data for marine debris assessment in the Adriatic region.

Main Methods:

• Six Slovenian beaches were surveyed, comparing sites with and without significant tourism influence.
• Macrodebris on beaches and microplastics in shoreline and infralittoral sediments were quantified and characterized.
• Beach cleanliness was evaluated using the Clean Coast Index.

Main Results:

• Tourism intensity did not correlate with the quantity of macrodebris or microplastics found on the beaches.
• Over 64% of the collected macrodebris consisted of plastic materials.
• Microplastics were detected ubiquitously across all surveyed beach sediments.

Conclusions:

• Plastic debris is a widespread contaminant in the studied Slovenian coastal environments, regardless of tourism levels.
• The ubiquitous presence of microplastics warrants their classification as hazardous materials.
• Standardized, comprehensive methods for marine debris assessment, such as an all-encompassing debris index, are urgently needed.