{
  "id": 9183875,
  "title": "Cigarette butts make up 12% of aquatic litter, global review finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/cigarette-butts-make-up-12-of-aquatic-litter-global-review-finds",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-22T19:30:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/cigarette-butts-make-up-12-of-aquatic-litter-global-review-finds/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A global review has found that cigarette butts make up 12% of the litter found in rivers, lakes, and beaches worldwide. Researchers analyzed data from 130 studies conducted in 55 countries between 2013 and 2024. On average, the density of cigarette butts was found to be one per every four square meters, or approximately one per 43 square feet across all ecosystems. The prevalence was notably higher in aquatic environments. Of all the litter found in aquatic ecosystems, roughly one in every nine items was from cigarettes. In some coastal regions of Iran, Chile, Brazil, and Peru, more than half of the litter was cigarette butts. This highlights the significant impact that a seemingly everyday human activity can have on even the most preserved environments. Victor Vasques Ribeiro, a researcher at Brazil's Federal University of São Paulo and lead author of the study, commented on the findings. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that can degrade into microplastics. The remaining parts of a cigarette butt, including paper, ash, and leftover tobacco, can leach harmful substances such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nicotine, and phenolic compounds into water. Ribeiro described the situation as \"a kind of 'chemical bomb': when it comes into contact with water, these substances can be released and cause severe toxic effects in different animals.\" Beaches were identified as a primary hotspot for contamination, likely due to their recreational use.",
  "summary": "Cigarette butts account for roughly 12% of the litter found in rivers, lakes and beaches surveyed for a recent global review. Researchers pooled data from 130 studies conducted in 55 countries between 2013 and 2024. Across all ecosystems, including both aquatic and terrestrial, researchers found on average a density of 1 cigarette butt every 4 […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Cigarette butts constitute 12% of global aquatic litter.",
    "Study analyzed data from 130 studies in 55 countries (2013-2024).",
    "Cigarette filters are plastic that degrades into microplastics."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}