Students help track plastic pollution on Liepāja beach

Students from Kurzeme have joined researchers in a study of coastal pollution on Liepāja beach, collecting litter and examining microplastics as part of the Plastic Pirates citizen science campaign, LSM reported, citing TV Kurzeme.

Working in five groups and following a set methodology, the students gathered beach litter to identify types of waste and investigate where it may come from. They said they found cigarette butts, cigarette packets and bottles among the most common items.

Plastic is one of the most widespread forms of pollution on Latvia’s coast. Monitoring project Mana jūra has found that plastic accounts for 88% of recorded litter, with cigarette butts making up about a third of it.

Sniedze Više, an environmental education specialist at Liepājas RAS, said tourism and local residents could contribute to litter in the city, while fishing nets and other sources may be responsible elsewhere.

Researchers also analyze microplastics. Although identifying their exact sources is difficult, samples help show which materials are most common. Synthetic fibres and polyethylene are among those often found; they can come from packaging and everyday plastic products, said Valentīna Vītola, a scientific assistant at the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology.

Sunlight, wind and weather break plastic into increasingly small fragments. These can enter marine organisms, including fish, and then move through the food chain.