Abstract
The problem of marine debris is increasing along the Indian coast. We identify and assess hazardous anthropogenic litter, plastic abundance, and clean-coast indices (CCIs) on the beaches of Kanyakumari, India. A total of 11,439 marine debris items were collected along the seven beaches of Kanyakumari and classified into 33 groups. Of the items collected, plastics were the most abundant, followed by foam, cloth, rubber, paper, glass, metal, wood, and other. The average CCI value (27.24) indicates that all the beaches are “extremely dirty,” while the average plastic abundance index value (4.37) indicates “high abundance,” and the hazardous anthropogenic litter index categorizes the study area as “class II.” Marine debris primarily originates from land-based sources, which account for 96.87% of the total. These findings could lead to more effective management techniques to combat marine debris pollution. Ultimately, this chapter emphasizes the necessity for multilevel solutions to encourage a transition toward sustainable practices, particularly in the form of a systematic debris index.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Meso and Microplastic Risk Assessment in Marine Environments
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
