Britain's beaches are increasingly being built up with rubbish. A recent study has found that in some areas, as much as half of the coarse sediments washing up on shore come from human-made materials such as bricks, concrete, glass and industrial waste.
The shift is largely attributed to climate change, which has brought about more intense coastal storms. These powerful gusts are stripping away land and sea levels, exposing previously hidden deposits of debris that have been washed ashore over time. The study focused on six sites in Scotland's Firth of Forth estuary, where researchers found substantial amounts of human-made material mixed into the beach sediments.
At one site near Edinburgh, Granton Beach, half or more of the coarse sediment was made up of brick and concrete fragments, which had been dislodged from industrial sites along the coast. This process is now known as "Thames potatoes" – bricks that have rounded over time to resemble small round stones.
While Scotland isn't an isolated case, similar findings can be seen in other parts of Britain. At Crosby Beach in Merseyside, for example, waste from old coal mines and wartime bombing has formed a large proportion of the sand, dubbed "seaside ash". Similarly, on the Thames estuary, bricks have been found mixed into the sediment – a result of years of pollution.
The study's lead author, professor Larissa Naylor from the University of Glasgow, believes that this phenomenon is more widespread than people realize. She warned that further research is necessary to understand how human activity affects coastal ecosystems and management.
The shift is largely attributed to climate change, which has brought about more intense coastal storms. These powerful gusts are stripping away land and sea levels, exposing previously hidden deposits of debris that have been washed ashore over time. The study focused on six sites in Scotland's Firth of Forth estuary, where researchers found substantial amounts of human-made material mixed into the beach sediments.
At one site near Edinburgh, Granton Beach, half or more of the coarse sediment was made up of brick and concrete fragments, which had been dislodged from industrial sites along the coast. This process is now known as "Thames potatoes" – bricks that have rounded over time to resemble small round stones.
While Scotland isn't an isolated case, similar findings can be seen in other parts of Britain. At Crosby Beach in Merseyside, for example, waste from old coal mines and wartime bombing has formed a large proportion of the sand, dubbed "seaside ash". Similarly, on the Thames estuary, bricks have been found mixed into the sediment – a result of years of pollution.
The study's lead author, professor Larissa Naylor from the University of Glasgow, believes that this phenomenon is more widespread than people realize. She warned that further research is necessary to understand how human activity affects coastal ecosystems and management.
i mean i get it climate change is real and it's causing some crazy weather but come on humans we need to take responsibility for our messes. it's not just about the beaches either, this stuff is ending up in our rivers and oceans too 
i feel like we're already seeing the effects of pollution in all these places so yeah lets get to work on cleaning up our act before its too late 
. it's like we're literally polluting our own coastlines and not even realizing it? and that seaside ash from old coal mines is like, super sad 
. I mean, can't we just take care of our planet for once? 
it's like the ultimate example of us being the "villain" in our own nature documentaries 
. what's even more crazy is that it's not just Britain, this is a global problem and we need to start taking action ASAP 
. I hope researchers like prof Naylor can get to the bottom of this (no pun intended) and help us find solutions before it's too late 
... anyway, it's not surprising that climate change is making this worse. I mean, we knew it was going to be a big deal. But seriously, what's up with all these industrial waste and old mine stuff getting washed ashore? It's like the ocean is collecting our trash for us 
... maybe we can find ways to clean up our beaches before they're all covered in trash? 
. I mean, we're used to just tossing our trash in the ocean or wherever, thinking it'll magically disappear, but nope! Climate change has brought all that garbage up to the surface, and now it's like a big ol' mess on our beaches 
it's not just the environment thats suffering, its our future too 
I wish more ppl would take notice of this study by prof larissa naylor she's trying to raise awareness but its just not getting the attention it deserves 
like, as much as half of the coarse sediments r coming from human-made materials?? it's insane! climate change is def making coastal storms more intense which is stripping away land & exposing all this hidden debris 
similar findings r seen in other parts of britain 2. like crosby beach in merseyside where waste from old coal mines & wartime bombing has formed a huge portion of the sand aka "seaside ash" 
prof larissa naylor is right 2 point out that this phnomenon is more widespread than ppl realize 