When thousands of foul-smelling “black balls” washed up on Australian beaches, many were perplexed, including scientists and government agencies. Now, weeks later, the contents of the obscure balls have been identified.
The black balls spotted on Sydney beaches are comprised of “fatty acids, petroleum hydrocarbons, and other organic and inorganic materials,” the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (NSW EPA) announced on Wednesday in a news release.
Analytical testing done by the Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Faculty of Science and UNSW’s Mark Wainwright Analytical Center confirmed the origin of the black balls, according to the NSW EPA.
“They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you’ve ever smelt,” Jon Beves, associate professor and researcher at UNSW, told 9News.
The scientists at UNSW called the black balls “mini fatbergs,” CNN reported. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, fatbergs are “a large mass of fat and waste material that forms in sewers.”
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Last month, the NSW EPA prohibited Australian beachgoers from visiting seven beaches after lifeguards noticed the black balls, thus prompting closures and massive clean-up efforts, according to the government agency’s Oct. 17 news release.
“I wouldn’t want to be swimming with them,” UNSW professor William Alexander Donald told 9News about the black balls.
The balls were observed in debris on Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly, Congwong, Frenchmans, Little Bay, Malabar and Tamarama beaches, the NSW EPA said.
“Until the clean-up is concluded, we advise against swimming and touching any balls that may have washed ashore in the identified areas,” according to the October release.
What exactly are the black balls comprised of?
The NWS EPA described fatty acids as natural substances derived from oils and fats. These substances can be found in products such as cooking oils, soaps and skincare items, the government agency said. Petroleum hydrocarbons on the other hand are chemicals from oil and gas products like gasoline, motor oil and diesel fuel, according to the NWS EPA.
Organic material consists of carbon-based substances that can “naturally decompose,” including items such as hair, food waste and other plant and animal matter, the NWS EPA said. The inorganic material within the ball comes from sand, calcium salt and bacteria primarily from wastewater, according to the government agency.
“The investigation has revealed that the balls contain hundreds to thousands of different materials, including human hair and various fibers, indicating they likely originated from a source that releases mixed waste,” the NWS EPA’s release reads.
Where did the black balls come from?
The cause of the black balls remains unknown, but authorities have considered a shipping spill or wastewater outflow as possible sources, according to the NWS EPA. The issue posing a challenge to officials concerning the balls’ origin is their complex composition and the amount of time they spent in the water, the government agency said.
Authorities are not giving up though, and the NWS EPA confirmed that final results are due in the coming weeks. It is unclear when the beaches will reopen to the public, or how much longer clean-up efforts will take.
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected].
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