Critical levels of microplastics recorded on Paphos beaches

The problem of plastic pollution along the Paphos coastline requires immediate action, said coastal engineer and head of the AKTI research centre Xenia Loizidou. According to long-term observations, this crisis is not new. Since 2022, the organisation has been testing ten beaches in Cyprus four times a year at its own expense, recording concentrations in Paphos of up to 4,000 microplastic particles per square metre.

Loizidou expressed surprise at the sudden public reaction, since high levels are usually recorded in the winter period. In her assessment, the current anomalous summer concentration became noticeable to holidaymakers because of the recent severe wave action in the Eastern Mediterranean, which accelerated the transport and deposition of plastic particles along the coastline. The research results have already been presented at international scientific conferences.