Contamination of Sandy Beaches with Marine Litter Microparticles (the Eastern Part of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea)

A. S. Kuzmina*, A. A. Ershova

Russian State Hydrometeorological University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

* e-mail: kuzmina_a98@yahoo.com

Abstract

This article discusses the features of the distribution of marine microlitter (particles less than 5 mm) in 2019–2020 on 13 beaches of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region located on the coast of the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland (the Baltic Sea). Microlitter was found on all beaches, however, its composition and amount varied significantly depending on the beach exposure and other factors. The concentration of microlitter ranged from 0.1 to 55.5 particles/m2. The largest amount of microlitter in the wrack zone was found on the beach in the center of St. Petersburg, the least – in Alexandria Park on the south coast; the predominant type of microlitter on most beaches is plastic. Using a cluster analysis, the beaches were classified according to the degree of their contamination: the most contaminated beaches are located within the city on the coasts of the Neva Bay, the least contaminated beaches are either outside the Neva Bay or at a considerable distance from the center of St. Petersburg. In the Neva Bay and on the northern coast of the open part of the Gulf of Finland, the concentrations of microlitter are higher, which may be due to the peculiarities of currents and winds determining the removal of particles coming with the Neva River runoff and their transport to the north. Comparison of the obtained data with the results of other studies in this region showed that, as compared with the beaches of other parts of the Baltic Sea, the Eastern Gulf of Finland has the highest values of the number of microparticles on the beaches.

Keywords

marine litter, microlitter, Neva Bay, Gulf of Finland, beaches, microplastics, contamination, marine ecosystems

For citation

Kuzmina, A.S. and Ershova, A.A., 2022. Contamination of Sandy Beaches with Marine Litter Microparticles (the Eastern Part of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea). Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea, (2), pp. 86–100.

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