Distribution of beach litter along the coastline of Cádiz, Spain.
A total of 59 categories of litter items were found at 20 beaches (13 mechanically cleaned, 7 non-cleaned) in the Cádiz tourist environment, Spain. Cluster Analysis and Principal Components Analysis were used to highlight similarities and contrasts between sites and/or associations between litter categories. Multivariate analyses separated beaches according to the total numbers of litter items present. Non-cleaned sites showed a variety of litter category abundance with distinct origins and abundant, ubiquitous items (plastic and glass fragments). Of the 7 non-cleaned beaches (49 litter categories) river-mouth sites were distinct due with high numbers of litter items. The sheltered inner part of Cádiz Bay beaches had a wide range of litter type. Many sites were associated with locally deposited recreational litter categories; while industrial/commercial/fishing categories were abundant only at a few sites, indicating items transported onto the shore from the Guadalete river.
Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Swansea), Mount Pleasant, Swansea, Wales, UK; CICS.NOVA, FCSH.UNL, Lisboa, Portugal.
Allan Thomas
AT
Williams
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
Peter
P
Randerson
Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
Carlo
C
Di Giacomo
Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. Electronic address: giorgio.anfuso@uca.es.
Giorgio
G
Anfuso
Área de Análisis Geográfico Regional, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
Ana
A
Macias
Centro Andaluz de Ciencia y Tecnología Marinas, Departamento de Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
José Antonio
JA
Perales
D001493:Bathing Beaches; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005898:Glass; D010969:Plastics; D013030:Spain; D014873:Water Pollutants
D010969:Plastics; D014873:Water Pollutants
Beach grading; Cluster Analysis; Coastal management; Morpho-dynamic beach state; Principal component analysis; Tourism