The Mysterious Balls That Washed Up On Sydney Beaches Have Been Identified As Mixed Waste With Hundreds Of Components, From Soap Scum To Veterinary Drugs
Weeks ago, thousands of round, sticky black balls washed up on the famed beaches of Sydney, Australia.
The mysterious blobs prompted beach closures across the city’s shores as scientists worked to trace their origins and formation.
Initially, they were thought to be tar balls that formed from crude oil or natural oil from the ocean floor, but the debris turned out to be something much different.
A series of analytical tests were conducted by the Australian government and scientists from the University of New South Wales.
Their investigations revealed that the black balls were likely from a source of “mixed waste.” They used a combination of chemical analytical techniques to determine the complex composition of the material.
“We found the sticky spheres contained hundreds of different components, including molecules that derive from cooking oil and soap scum, PFAS chemicals, steroidal compounds, antihypertensive medications, pesticides, and veterinary drugs,” said Jon Beves, the leader of the study and an associate professor from the School of Chemistry.
The researchers first identified the carbon composition of the balls to get a general idea of what the debris was made up of.
Radiocarbon dating suggested that the interior of the balls contained about 70 percent of modern carbon and 30 percent of fossil carbon.
The surface consisted of approximately 85 percent modern carbon and 15 percent fossil carbon. Modern carbon refers to carbon that comes from biological sources like plants and animals instead of fossil fuels.
TravelPhotography – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only – pictured above is a beach in Sydney
The dark, sticky substance was composed of fats, oils, calcium, and other metals. It was inconsistent with oil spills or typical marine fuel.
The presence of alkanes common in diesel fuel, compounds found in used cooking oil and soap, forever chemicals, various drugs, and pesticides are likely due to contamination from sewage and industrial runoff.
In addition, markers of human fecal waste, such as epicoprostanol, and residues like THC and methamphetamine were identified, which is consistent with contamination from domestic sources.
The fats, oils, and high calcium levels in the black balls indicate their possible relation to fat, oil, and grease blobs formed in sewage systems.
“This was a significant analytical challenge, with highly complex mixtures containing hundreds to thousands of components,” said William Alexander Donald, a chemistry professor at the University of New South Wales.
“We had a lot of fun analyzing these mystery blobs, using deductive reasoning to trace the likely source to human waste.”
It is still unclear where exactly these balls came from since there have been no known issues with water plants in Sydney. But the incident highlights the need to monitor the stuff that washes up on beaches.
The team has also been notified of unconfirmed reports of similar balls washing up over the past two years. Further investigations could find out if the debris has related compositions.
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