Microplastics found on every beach in Cyprus — four-year data

Since 2022, the AKTI Research Center has been monitoring ten coastal sites in Cyprus. The center's specialists emphasize that microplastics are detected on absolutely all surveyed beaches, and their concentration has been steadily increasing. The highest levels are recorded in December and March due to changes in sea currents.

According to research by the Oceanographic Center of the University of Cyprus and the University of Haifa, the main source of pollution is the sea. Water brings in up to 69% of plastic waste, while land-based runoff accounts for only 6%. In the latest samples, scientists recorded critical levels — up to 20,600 microplastic particles per square meter of sand.

AKTI President Ksenia Loizidou said that one-off volunteer beach cleanups will not solve the problem. Experts are calling on the authorities to introduce continuous scientific monitoring, drastically reduce the use of plastic packaging in the country, and move to systemic measures to protect coastal ecosystems.