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Marine debris removed from beaches in the Northeast shows how currents, winds, and tides can move waste over long distances, concentrate materials in sensitive coastal areas, and make it more difficult to identify the source of ocean dumping.
A sudden arrival of more than 50 tons of marine debris hit beaches in Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba between April 20 and 30, 2021, in an episode analyzed by researchers in the journal Regional Studies in Marine Science.
In addition to measuring the collected volume, the work investigated how winds, tides, and ocean currents can transport floating debris to the northeastern coast, affecting water quality, tourism, and environmental management of coastal areas.
Signed by Marcio M. Cintra, Jacqueline S. Silva-Cavalcanti, Maria Christina B. Araújo, Piero L.F. Mazzini, Marcelo Rollnic, and David Mendes, the study used numerical simulations to estimate possible trajectories of the material found on the beaches.
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How the debris reached the northeastern coast
To reconstruct the movement of the debris, the research worked with eight simulations, four hydrodynamic and four Lagrangian, evaluating the movement at sea and the influence of physical forces responsible for stranding on the coastal strip.
In the models used by the researchers, 87,030 virtual particles were released and tracked in relation to tides, winds, and the North Brazil Undercurrent, known internationally by the acronym NBUC.
From these simulations, the results indicated predominant movement to the north and northwest, driven mainly by the combination of the regional ocean current and the southeast trade winds, which favored the approach of the material.
In practical terms, floating debris can follow the continental shelf of the Northeast and end up deposited on beaches when wind conditions push this ocean-origin material towards the coastal strip.
Beaches affected in Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba
The survey cites records in 23 beaches in seven cities of Rio Grande do Norte, with the most significant initial arrival in Baía Formosa on April 20, 2021, and subsequent dispersion to Natal.
According to the data mentioned in the scientific article, the largest quantities were removed in Baía Formosa, which collected 38 tons, followed by Canguaretama, Nísia Floresta, and Tibau do Sul.
In Paraíba, there were also reports in Conde, Cabedelo, and João Pessoa, expanding the regional dimension of the episode and reinforcing the need to accurately investigate the origin of the disposal in the marine environment.
Among the items described by municipal surveys were plastic packaging, clothing and footwear remnants, documents, bottles, masks, diapers, toys, and hospital materials, as reported by the researchers responsible for the study.
Origin of marine litter not yet proven
Although the hypothesis of disposal at sea has been considered, the article highlights that no public authority has definitively confirmed the origin of the litter or the occurrence of an accident responsible for the dumping.
According to the study, the Federal Police investigation ruled out an international origin due to the large presence of materials associated with Pernambuco, but the exact source of the episode remained without public proof.
Among the possibilities evaluated were disposal by a company linked to waste management, release by a vessel, and transport of the material by an estuary after a heavy rain event.
In this scenario, the image of a Brazilian beach functioning as a “sea drain” helps explain the physical effect of ocean circulation, but does not answer, in isolation, who discarded the material.
Ocean currents expand the reach of pollution
Due to the very dynamics of marine circulation, objects discarded far from the beach can be transported over great distances, as floating debris spreads rapidly under the combined action of winds and ocean currents.
The article also highlights that most marine plastic litter originates from land, while rivers and estuaries often function as important routes for these wastes to enter the ocean.
After reaching the sea, the behavior of the material depends on composition, density, and shape, factors that influence whether the debris remains on the surface, circulates in the water column, or sinks.
This dynamic complicates monitoring, as the litter found on a beach was not always discarded nearby, and the path traveled depends on various physical processes combined with human actions.
Tracking ocean litter becomes a challenge
For researchers, realistically representing regional hydrodynamics is essential to understand transport routes and help authorities mitigate events of massive waste arrival on the coast.
Another area highlighted by the research involves new studies on the seasonal variation of these physical forces, as winds, tides, and currents change throughout the year and can alter deposition patterns.
In the analyzed case, the unexpected accumulation of debris compromised beaches used by residents and tourists, in addition to requiring a quick response from local authorities for the removal and proper disposal of the material.
Without respecting municipal or state boundaries, marine pollution can reappear far from the point of disposal, carried by natural forces that make it difficult to identify the origin and increase response costs.
In coastal areas of high environmental and economic value, prevention depends on tracking, monitoring, proper waste management, and cooperation between different levels of government before the waste reaches the ocean.
If currents, winds, and tides can transform isolated beaches into points of waste accumulation, what kind of control should exist before the waste reaches the ocean?
