Tracking the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic-related debris on wildlife using digital platforms

Strength in numbers: Combining small pockets of opportunistic sampling for Australian seabird plastic ingestion

While the problem of plastic ingestion by wildlife is well recognised, it also suffers from a "file drawer" problem where small incidentally collected data remains unpublished because on its own, it may represent only a handful of individuals. There is great strength, however, in combining these disparate datasets to make inferences about broader patterns and therefore inform the discussion about the impacts and extent of plastic ingestion by providing data for sparsely sampled taxa. Here we summarise plastic ingestion records collected from seven seabird species in Western Australia and New South Wales, Australia to provide a baseline and updates on exposure of these species to plastics. For most of the species included in our assessment, this is the first data available regarding plastic ingestion in more than two decades. Very low rates of plastic ingestion were observed in Great-winged Petrels Pterodroma macroptera, Little Shearwaters Puffinus assimilis, and Providence Petrels Pterodroma solandri with only the adult and fledgling Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica and Sable Shearwater Ardenna carneipes containing moderate amounts of plastic (>8 % prevalence). Black-winged Petrels Pterodroma nigripennis and Masked Boobies Sula dactylatra did not contain any ingested plastic. These data were collected and reported using standardised methods to ensure the information can be used as a benchmark against prior and future plastic ingestion studies. Syntheses such as these provide valuable knowledge for regions or species with limited data, and in doing so, begin to reveal patterns of plastic pollution and its relevance to seabird conservation.

Citizen science reveals litter trends in the UK: Population density effects on coastal and inland regions

There is limited understanding of how litter abundance, particularly plastic items, varies between coastal and inland regions with different population densities. The absence of standardised data collection methods further complicates comparisons. Moreover, the lack of data for inland areas hampers efforts to identify potential litter sources, pathways, and interventions. In this study, we address these gaps by quantifying and characterising litter across diverse settings in the United Kingdom (UK), encompassing coastal and inland regions, as well as urban and rural areas. Data were collected in collaboration with a major UK charity specialising in coastal litter removal, with 97 volunteers conducting monthly surveys along 200-m transects using a custom mobile application. Over five months, a total of 27,855 litter items were collected. Fragments (33 %), packaging (33 %), and cigarette-related debris (23 %) were the most prevalent litter types, each displaying varying trends in abundance across different locations. Litter density was higher in coastal areas (0.053 items/m2) compared to inland regions (0.030 items/m2), and urban areas consistently exhibited more litter than rural areas (urban 0.046 items/m2 vs. rural 0.038 items/m2). Over time, coastal areas experienced a significantly higher influx of new litter (p < 0.0001) compared to inland regions, where litter levels were stable or decreasing. Notably, while coastal areas showed no significant difference in litter accumulation between urban and rural communities, inland urban areas had significantly more litter than their rural counterparts (p < 0.0001). These findings underscore the importance of considering both geographic region and community type when developing waste management strategies. They also highlight the need for enhanced legislation targeting common litter sources.

Marine litter along the Peruvian coast: spatiotemporal composition, sources, hazard, and human modification relations

Marine litter (ML) represents an escalating environmental issue, particularly in Latin America, where comprehensive studies are scarce despite critical solid waste management challenges and continuous human modification occurring on the coasts. To contribute to the knowledge of ML in the southeast Pacific, this study examined contamination across 10 beaches on Peru's extensive coast. Overall, ML contamination was categorized as moderate (with an ML concentration of 0.49 ± 0.64 items∙m-2), while significantly differing between summer (dirty with an ML concentration of 0.56 ± 0.66 items∙m-2) and winter (moderate with an ML concentration of 0.47 ± 0.60 items∙m-2). Three beaches were extremely dirty (concentrations of ML exceeded 1.0 items∙m-2). Predominant materials, items, and sources were plastic, cigarette butts (CBs), and mixed packaging. The Peruvian coast faced CB leachate impact (CBPI = 3.5 ± 3.5), reaching severe levels on two beaches, with considerable hazardous litter (HALI = 3.0 ± 2.9). Additionally, a higher degree of human modification was associated with higher ML levels along the coast.

Discernible decline in macroplastic litter inputs to the central eastern Red Sea shoreline during the COVID-19 lockdown

Plastic debris accumulating on beaches pose a major threat to marine ecosystems. Unexpected events affecting human operations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted governments to implement safety measures and restrictions, can serve as an unplanned investigation of anthropogenic pressure on the marine environment. This study aimed to explore deviations in macroplastic delivery rates to the central eastern Red Sea shoreline during three distinct population mobility periods: before, during, and after COVID-19 restrictions, spanning from January 2019 to June 2022. We observed a 50 % reduction in the estimated macroplastic delivery rates during the lockdown, followed by a 25 % increase after restrictions were eased. Seasonal variations in delivery rates were also observed, with higher values during the winter monsoon. Reduced shoreline litter delivery during the pandemic highlights human operations as a cause of macroplastic litter and suggests the potential of temporary measures to reduce plastic pollution in the coastal environment.

Terrestrial mammals of the Americas and their interactions with plastic waste

Plastics have brought many benefits to society, but their mismanagement has turned them into a serious environmental problem. Today, the effects of plastic waste on wildlife are becoming increasingly evident. Since studies on plastic pollution have focused on species in marine ecosystems, here we review current knowledge on interactions between terrestrial mammals and plastic waste in the countries of the Americas, which is a global hotspot of mammalian biodiversity and in turn has, among its member countries, nations with high per capita generations of plastic waste globally. We identified 46 scientific articles documenting plastic ingestion in 37 species and four species that used plastic waste for nest or burrow construction. Of the 46 investigations, seven focused on plastic contamination, while the others reported on the presence of plastics in wildlife, even though this was not the primary focus of the research. However, these publications lack analytical methods commonly used in plastic studies, and only one study applied a standardized methodology for plastic detection. Therefore, in general, plastic pollution research on terrestrial mammals is limited. We extend several recommendations such as designing methodologies that are adapted to terrestrial mammals for the identification of plastics in fecal matter or gastrointestinal contents, carrying out species-specific analyzes on the impacts of plastics in nests or burrows, and giving further attention to this understudied issue and taxa.

Plastic Waste: Challenges and Opportunities to Mitigate Pollution and Effective Management

The present world is now facing the challenge of proper management and resource recovery of the enormous amount of plastic waste. Lack of technical skills for managing hazardous waste, insufficient infrastructure development for recycling and recovery, and above all, lack of awareness of the rules and regulations are the key factors behind this massive pile of plastic waste. The severity of plastic pollution exerts an adverse effect on the environment and total ecosystem. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of plastic waste generation, as well as its effect on the human being and ecological system, is discussed in terms of source identification with respect to developed and developing countries. A detailed review of the existing waste to energy and product conversion strategies is presented in this study. Moreover, this study sheds light on sustainable waste management procedures and identifies the key challenges to adopting effective measures to minimise the negative impact of plastic waste.