A Comparative Study of The Presence of Different Pieces of Marine Litter on Five Different Beaches on Western Coast of Libya

Abstract

Abstract: waste enter the world's oceans annually. If current trends persist, it is projected that by the year 2050, the volume of plastic in marine environments could surpass that of fish. Despite its relatively low population density, Libya demonstrates a notably high per capita generation of plastic waste. The quantities of waste deposited along coastal areas vary across different Libyan cities, largely influenced by the nature and intensity of human activities in each location. Furthermore, waste accumulation on beaches is not solely attributed to marine return via wave and tidal actions; a substantial proportion results from uncontrolled and unregulated land-based waste disposal practices in adjacent urban and rural areas. This unmanaged waste dispersal represents a growing environmental concern, particularly in the absence of effective waste management systems along the Libyan coastline. In this study, five Libyan regions of different nature were selected for each city in which the quantities of marine litter dumped on the shore were studied according to the methodologies approved by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Integrated Mediterranean Monitoring Plan (IMAP). The beaches surveyed Farwa protected Island, at the west of Tripoli, Tripoli beach, Ghanima area east of Tripoli, Wadi Ka'am and the beach of Misrata city. The results, revealed that plastic waste was present in all the different beaches surveyed. The total quantities found reached 262, 369, 975, 891 and 956 pieces per 100 meters, for the areas Farwa, Tripoli, Ghanima, Wadi Ka'am and Misrata respectively, which gives an indication of the great