Thousands Of Mysterious Black Tar Balls Washed Ashore Beaches In Sydney, Causing Them To Temporarily Shut Down
On October 17, beaches in the Australian city of Sydney, including the famous Bondi Beach, were shut down when thousands of mysterious black tar balls washed ashore, prompting health concerns.
By now, they have reopened for swimmers after officials tested the balls and deemed they were not highly toxic to humans. Still, the state’s maritime authority advised people not to touch them.
The balls are sticky, dark in color, and about the size of a golf ball. They were first reported on Coogee Beach, which led to several beach closures across the city’s shores.
Bronte, Clovelly, Tamarama, Gordons Bay, and the northern end of Maroubra Beach were also closed as authorities conducted investigations and removed the material.
The initial test results showed that they were tar balls formed when oil comes into contact with water and debris.
They consisted of chemicals similar to those found in cosmetics and cleaning products. However, it is still unclear where exactly they came from.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, confirmed that the tar balls originated from weathered oil, either from natural oil seeps from the ocean floor or a crude oil spill.
Based on their chemical analysis, it is likely that the tar balls formed from crude oil.
According to Penny Sharpe, New South Wales’s Environment Minister, investigations are continuing to determine the source of the pollution and who was responsible for it.
Elias Bitar – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
“Based on advice from the Environment Protection Authority, we can now confirm the balls are made up of fatty acids, chemicals consistent with those found in cleaning and cosmetic products, mixed with some fuel oil,” said Mark Hutchings, the Maritime Executive Director of New South Wales.
The tar balls are not harmful to humans when on the ground, but they should be left alone. If these balls are spotted, beachgoers are encouraged to report them to a lifeguard. If you accidentally touch one, wash your hands with soap and water or baby oil.
The tar balls do not just ruin the aesthetic of the beaches, but they also can hurt marine ecosystems.
They can affect animals like fish, seabirds, and turtles by interfering with their feeding and movement.
According to William Alexander Donald, a chemistry professor at UNSW, the compounds within the balls can leach into the water, potentially causing harm to marine creatures.
Furthermore, they threaten “the health of ecosystems that support industries like fishing and tourism.”
Tar balls are fairly uncommon in Australia, but they have appeared in other places in the world, including on California beaches and coastlines in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
There are still many questions about these black deposits. Hopefully, laboratory testing will reveal more information soon.
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