Luoman / Getty ImagesPlastic packaging, objects, and fragments can travel long distances by waterLuoman / Getty Images
In 11 visits to three beaches in November 2022, researchers from the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) collected 1,062 plastic items (plastic bottle caps, cosmetic packaging, and food pots) weighing a total of 9.7 kilograms (kg). The majority (70.4% of the items) showed only moderate degradation, with identifiable brands and logos. An analysis of these brands indicated that most of the items came from Africa (78.5%), with the rest from Brazil (15.7%) and other nations (5.8%). Among the African products, 31 brands and 31 companies were identified, mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (over 90%), but also from Ivory Coast, South Africa, Cameroon, Angola, Nigeria, and Ghana. Simulations of ocean winds and currents supported the conclusion that the plastics originated from the west coast of Africa and that the Congo River, which flows into the sea, could be the main source of the plastic waste arriving on Brazil’s beaches (Science of The Total Environment, December).
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