A study conducted by Sea Shepherd Brasil in collaboration with USP found plastic waste on all 306 beaches surveyed
The beaches of Mongagua AND Saint Vincentin Baixada Santista, on the coast of São Paulo, are in the first two places in the ranking ranking of the most polluted beaches with plastic of the entire Brazilian coast. This is underlined by an unprecedented study conducted by Sea Shepherd Brasil, a marine conservation organization, in collaboration with the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (USP). The study analyzed 306 beaches along the entire Brazilian coast.
Mongaguá is first in microplastics and São Vicente is a leader in macrowaste. These are two different categories of plastic pollution. On the beaches of São Vicente, 10 plastic residues were found per square meter of sand. In Mongaguá the scenario was considered more alarming, with the presence of 83 microplastic fragments per m2.
The report of Estadao He has contacted the municipalities of Mongaguá, São Vicente and Florianópolis and is still waiting for feedback.
The project Clean Wave Shipping visited the beaches of 201 municipalities in the 17 states of the Brazilian coast, analyzing the presence of plastic along 7 thousand kilometers of coast, from Rio Grande do Sul to Amapá.
The fieldwork was carried out from April 2022 to August 2023. Analysis of the collected data showed that:
- 100% of Brazilian beaches contain plastic waste, such as packaging and bottle caps,
- 97% contain microplastics, particles smaller than 5 mm.
- According to the study, of the total waste found on beaches, 91% was plastic, which is higher than the global average of 70%.
- Among the most frequently found waste, cigarette filters represent 25% of the total.
In Brazil, the southeastern region leads in terms of the largest plastic waste, called macrowaste. In terms of macro plastic (large pieces of plastic), the Southern region is on par with the Southeast. Furthermore, the South stands out for a greater quantity of microplastics (small fragments of plastic) compared to other regions.
The beach of Pântano do Sul, in Florianópolisis the one that stands out the most in terms of pollution from macrowaste, macroplastics and microplastics, with more items than any other, according to the study. THE Rizzo beachagain in Florianópolis, it appears as the third most polluted by microplastics, preceded only by Praia do Centro, in Mongaguá.
THE Vacas Beach and Itaquitanduvaboth located in an integral protection zone, in São Vicente, are the second most affected in the macroplastics ranking
The accessories of fishing, such as nets, lines and buoysthey represent 1 in 10 objects found on the Brazilian coast, indicating inspection errors, especially in strictly protected areas, according to the study. These materials correspond to 11.2% of plastics and 10.3% of the total articles analyzed. Rio Grande do Sul stands out for a quantity of waste related to fishing gear three times higher than the national average.
Even states with a small coastal strip suffer from pollution
Even states that have a small strip of coastline, such as Piauí and Paranáthey don’t escape the problem. These states lead the league in microplastics, with an average of 10 fragments per square meter, double the national average.
The state of Rio Grande do Norte It is known for its high macro-waste rate, with three of its cities among the five most polluted in the country.
Overall in Brazil, 91% of waste collected on beaches is plastic, but in the South this figure is even higher, reaching 95%, the highest percentage of all regions.
According to the study, in a worrying scenario of plastic pollution on Brazilian beaches, Turiaçu, in Maranhão, stands out as an oasis, with the complete absence of microplastics and minimal levels of macrowaste.
Urban beaches have more waste
According to Sea Shepherd, the study is the most comprehensive ever conducted in Brazil to study the profile of marine debris on the Brazilian coast. “We observed that beaches located in urban areas, where there are more people and more human activity, tend to have more microplastics. On the other hand, on beaches in suburban and rural areas, which have fewer people and less movement, we found fewer microplastics,” the report underlines.
The researchers note that other factors, such as proximity to rivers and transportation of waste by sea, can interfere with the presence of microplastics.
“While the number of people in the region is an important factor, it is not the only one we should consider. Importantly, these findings are preliminary, however, the current findings provide a valuable initial perspective, which will soon be explored further in the final study.” , the report reads.
The document warns that although the study presents a ranking of the most polluted beaches, the results should be viewed with caution due to less representative sample sizes in some areas. “However, this data provides a relevant indicative snapshot for local managers, helping to guide cleanup and conservation actions,” the report states.
The team, made up of a coordinator, two scientists, a photographer, a driver and a cook, traveled 7,000 kilometers from the coast by bus, crossing 17 states. More than 100 volunteers supported the team on a rotating basis.
The Ondas Limpas campaign was supported by Odontoprev, a dental insurance company. More than two tons of waste containing 120,000 objects were collected and analyzed, 70% of which were plastic.
To evaluate the presence of solid waste on the 306 beaches analyzed, each study area was delimited considering interferences such as tents, beach entrances, as well as the highest line of the last tide and the beginning of the beach area.
For the collection of macroresidues, 4 sections were defined (5 m wide bands), distributed randomly over the entire study area (100 m). The collection of microplastics was carried out in 12 squares of 0.25 m², where specific mesh sieves and water were used.
The action of nature reduces plastic into small particles
The study highlights that plastic thrown directly onto beaches or transported by rivers that flow into the sea is exposed to solar radiation, which degrades its chemical bonds, making them fragile. Marine organisms, such as barnacles, can also attach to plastic, weakening it. The impact of the waves and the abrasion of the sand consume the plastic, reducing it into small particles that easily enter the food chain of marine species.
All macroresidues found within the sections were weighed and classified on site, while the microplastics were sent for analysis in the laboratory, where they were classified and identified by colour, shape and size using magnifying glasses and microscopes.
Considering the total surface area, the study concluded that there are, on average, 4.5 microplastics per m2 and 0.5 macroresidues per m2 of beach, therefore 1 residue for every 2 m2 of beach on the Brazilian coast. According to Nathalie Gil, president of Sea Shepherd, plastic is still ubiquitous in people’s lives.
“This project represents for us an urgent call to truly understand the plastic situation in a thorough and comprehensive way. We have the ambition to continue fighting for important bills such as PL 2524/2022 on Plastics and PL 1874/2022 on Circular L “The Brazilian economy, as well as the Plastics Treaty in international negotiations between several countries within the UN, continue to progress towards implementation,” it states in the report.
The plastic bill is currently being processed in the federal Senate. The Circular Economy PL awaits analysis in the Chamber of Deputies. “We intend for the project’s findings to not only shock, but provoke action, bringing to light the need for public policies and a change in the culture of plastic consumption in Brazil,” said Nathalie.
The journalist has contacted the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and is awaiting feedback. The state environmental departments of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Piauí and Paraná were also contacted, but have not yet responded.
X-ray of waste on the Brazilian coast:
- 306 beaches studied and 201 municipalities covered
- 156.6 thousand square meters of surface analyzed (equivalent to 22 football fields)
- 91% of waste is plastic; 61% single-use plastic, 22% long-lasting plastic and 17% fishing gear
- Microplastics are present in 97% of beaches
- 100% of the beaches have waste (rubbish): 16 thousand microplastic fragments and 72 thousand microwaste collected
- On average, 4.5 microplastics per m2 and 0.5 macrowaste per m2 are found on Brazilian beaches
- 1 in 12 items is a cigarette filter
Source: Terra
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