Temporal analysis of cigarette butt accumulation on a touristic beach in Cartagena, Colombia

Cigarette butts (CBs) are among the most common types of litter found in coastal environments, including beach sand. They are considered hazardous waste due to their significant toxicity and the potential threats they pose to both ecosystems and public health. This study examines historical CB density data collected from Bocagrande Beach, Colombia, across two distinct periods: 2011-2015 and 2021-2022. It includes an assessment of variations in key pollution indexes, the Plastic Abundance Index (PAI), Clean Coast Index (CCI), Cigarette Butt Abundance Index (CBAI), and Cigarette Butts Pollution Index (CBPI). The methodology used visual identification surveys and the systematic collection of CBs and cigarette butt fibers (CBFs) within 500-m² transects. A key finding of this research was the average solid waste density between 2011 and 2015 of 0.63 items/m², with CBs being the most prevalent at 0.19 items/m². Remarkably, an average of 0.6 CBs/m² was observed in the 2021-2022 period, demonstrating an increasing trend in cigarette butt pollution. The CBPI values ranged from 2.28 to 31.16, classifying the beach from polluted to severely polluted conditions.