Mysterious black debris in Sydney was not tar balls but 'much more disgusting' waste
Weeks after sticky black balls washed up on the famed beaches of Sydney, Australia, scientists say they have partly solved the mystery behind the “disgusting” blobs.
Weeks after sticky black balls washed up on the famed beaches of Sydney, Australia, scientists say they have partly solved the mystery behind the “disgusting” blobs.
Initially thought to be tar balls, the golf-ball-size debris turned out to be something much different — a combination of decomposed cooking oils, hair and food waste, the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said Wednesday.
The investigation, carried out by the Australian government and scientists from the University of New South Wales, revealed that the black balls “likely originated from a source that releases mixed waste,” the EPA said in a statement.
“Authorities have considered several possible causes, such as a shipping spill or wastewater outflow,” it said.
The exact origin is yet to be confirmed due to the “complex composition of the balls and the time they have spent in the water,” the statement said. “But final results are due in the coming weeks.”
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