ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH, vol.334, pp.1-10, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
The composition and abundance of solid waste and the effect of COVID-19
measures were studied in an inland water ecosystem in Turkey. Solid
waste items were collected annually for 5 years from 2017 to 2021 from
seven stations located in Borçka Dam Lake (B1–B4) and Murgul Stream
(M1–M3) in the Artvin Province. The highest densities by number and
weight were recorded at M3 in 2020 (5.72 items/m2) and M1 in 2020 (0.39 kg/m2), respectively. However, no significant difference in density was recorded (p < 0.05)
between the years. Plastic was the most abundant waste material by
number of items in all the stations with a percentage contribution
varying between 25.47 and 88.89%. There was a considerable increase in
medical items during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021. Nonmetric
multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and ANOSIM results revealed visually and
statistically significant differences in solid waste
composition between the years and stations. The dissimilarity between
the years was driven by plastic and medical waste. The main sources of
solid waste were river transportation (22.93%), improper disposal
(20.74%), aquaculture activities (16.42%), and recreational and tourism
activities (14.72%). The results of our study can be a baseline for
transportation models, local administrations, and non-governmental
organizations. Besides, the current waste management measures in Turkey
are not effective in preventing waste accumulation in inland aquatic
systems such as the Borçka Dam Lake and Murgul Stream. Furthermore,
these findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic influenced solid
waste composition and increased its abundance in the study area.