As much as half of some British beaches’ coarse sediments may consist of human-made materials such as brick, concrete, glass and industrial waste, a study has suggested. Climate breakdown, which has caused more frequent and destructive coastal storms, has led to an increase in these substances on beaches. On Granton beach near Edinburgh, researchers from the University of Glasgow found evidence that up to half of the coarse sediments within the tidal zone were human-made materials. The Thames estuary’s sediments are also thought to be made up of a significant amount of human-made materials. Across the surveyed beaches, an average of 22% of coarse sediments were found to be what the team called “anthropogenic geomaterial”.

Source: The Guardian February 04, 2026 16:59 UTC