Classification and environmental impact of solid waste generated in the beaches of Riohacha, La Guajira, Colombia

Abstract

This study was conducted to classify and evaluate the impact of solid waste generated in the beaches of Riohacha. The beaches sampled covered the length from Valle de los Cangrejos beach to Marbella’s Neigborhood beach. Samples were taken in five places, were marked transcets perpendicular to the coastline; then on these places there were selected parallel quadrants for solid waste collection. In addition, a survey was also applied to users and sellers of the beaches to determine the perception of odours and quantify its burden on tourism. The data about solid waste was analyzed using Kruskal-wallis test in SPSS 12.0 software. The level of significance used was 97.5% and the impact was estimated using Leopold method (1971). The inventory of the solid waste showed that most of the materials were organic matter, plastics, glass and miscellaneous. However, organic solid waste had higher percentages than the other materials. Incidentally, most of the material collected in each sampling station was found on the Active Zone (AZ) and the Passive Zone (PZ); areas where there are the highest concentrations of beach users. The odours with higher incidence came from garbage, urine and faeces, both from human and animals. The quantity and type of waste were found to be conditioned by the characteristics of the area as well as the economical activities of people around. There were not found significant differences in the amount of solid waste collected during the first and second sampling. The study showed that most of the material collected came from the waste disposal by residents and visitors, fishing and stool.