Evaluation of the floating solid waste flow of the Itiberê River via application and its contribution to the amount of marine litter in the Bay of Paranaguá

Abstract

Population growth leads to an increase in solid waste generation. This waste often reaches the seas through rivers, becoming marine litter. Marine litter causes damage to fauna, and flora, and also aesthetically impacts rivers, beaches, and seas. However, little is known about the flows of solid waste generated on land that are transported to the sea. This study aimed to analyze the contribution of the Itiberê River to the quantity and quality of litter in the Bay of Paranaguá using an application. Fourteen monitoring sessions were conducted on sunny (12) and rainy (2) days from the Itiberê River walkway in Paranaguá. The number and type of items observed were recorded in an application (JRC Litter Floating Monitoring) developed for marine litter monitoring. The results showed that the number of items observed during the rainy period represented 19.4% of the total, while during periods of low rainfall, it was 80.6%. It was estimated that the Itiberê River contributes 798,810.69 items per year to the Bay of Paranaguá. It can be concluded that the river contributes a significant amount of solid waste, especially during periods of high rainfall, to the bay.