Monitoring and characterization of macro-litter on the beaches of El Kala coastline of Algeria
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The presence of marine litter on beaches is a real and significant problem, as it not only degrades the aesthetic value of landscapes but also affects the environment and exposes humans to nuisances and dangers, some of which can be very serious.To address this issue, a quantification and identification of macro-litter accumulated on the three main beaches of the El Kala coastline, North-East of Algeria (Grande Plage, El Mordjene, and Vieille Calle), was carried out over three seasons (autumn, winter, and spring).A total of 4283 items, corresponding to 161.21 kg of litter, were counted.The three beaches were classified as moderately clean according to the Clean Coast Index (CCI = 9.6), and the mean density was estimated at 0.48 ± 0.09 items/m².The order of abundance of marine litter along the coast of El Kala was as follows: plastic (52.72%) > other litter (14.45%) > metal (7.87%) > processed wood (6.07%) > glass/ceramic (5.51%) > textile (5.42%) > paper/cardboard (5.35%) > rubber (2.61%).More than half of these items (62.50%) were from land-based sources, mainly related to shoreline, tourism, and recreational activities.Our results suggest that specific management approaches should be applied to minimize the impact of macro-litter, with particular emphasis on plastic waste.
Authors: Amina Tania Dahel, Affef Baaloudj
Institutions: Chadli Bendjedid El Tarf University, University of Guelma
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $161
OpenAlex ID: W4414656296