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 Plastic pollution

A clean coastline is vital for beach tourism. Marine litter is aesthetically the most unappealing pollutant to swimmers, and dirty bathing sites are unattractive for visitors. Litter, particularly plastic litter, is accumulating in our seas and along our coasts and poses threats both to marine biodiversity and bathers (EEA, 2015b). Plastic litter damages fisheries and tourism, kills and injures a wide range of marine life, has the capacity to transport potentially harmful chemicals and invasive species and can represent a threat to human health (Thompson, et al., 2009). 

Beach and sea floor litter at bathing water sites might cause injuries, and when fractured into micro pieces in water can be accidentally ingested by swimmers. Accumulation of such ‘microlitter’ in the human body may cause health effects. The extent of such health effects is still unknown, and a precautionary approach is necessary.