Beaches are iconic spaces in New Zealand.

Unfortunately, clean beaches are a thing of the past, with over six-million items entering the seas each day, much of which ends up on beaches.

UoW researchers, including Professors Marnie Campbell, Dr Linda Peters, Dr Rebecca Sargisson and Professor Chad Hewitt, has assessed medical insurance claims from around New Zealand and over a decade to see how much of a hazard beach litter and marine debris are to people.

They say over the 10-year period, both new and active beach injury claims increased, resulting in 161,261 total claims over the 10-year period, and averaging 7837 new and 8289 active claims per year.

'Beach litter related injuries are shown to disproportionately result in puncture injuries, affect children, and occur in tourism hubs. The average claim was $450.”

The researchers say the finding demonstrate that beach litter is a pervasive and growing hazard to human health in New Zealand.