A.S. Leite, L.L. Santos, Y. Costa, V. Hatje, Influence of proximity to
an urban center in the pattern of contamination by marine debris, Marine
Pollution Bulletin, Available online 12 February 2014, ISSN 0025-326X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.01.032.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14000332)
Abstract: In order to test the relationship between the occurrence of
marine debris and the distance from urban areas, nine beaches in the
metropolitan area of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil and the adjacent northern
coast were studied. Marine debris were collected, sorted in several
categories and weighed. It was observed that plastics were numerically
the most abundant component of the collected debris. As expected, the
beaches closest to Salvador presented the largest density of debris,
with the exception of the Porto da Barra beach, which has an efficient
public cleaning system and does not have any vegetation, making it
difficult to accumulate solid waste. Linear regression analyses showed
significant relationships between the distance from the urban center
(Salvador) and the number of marine debris per m2, the total number of
debris per beach (abundance), and the diversity of debris types
(richness). The results showed that proximity to urban regions was a key
factor in the marine debris distribution along the coast.
Keywords: Solid waste; Contamination; Salvador; Regression analyses; Bahia