Sydney Beaches Revealed to Have Mysterious Balls Containing a Mix of Faeces and Drugs
After first thought to be made of oil from a spill, the mysterious ’tar balls’ which washed up on Sydney’s beaches in mid-October were actually something worse.
What were initially thought to be tar balls from an oil spill, which washed up on Sydney beaches in October, have subsequently been found to be a noxious mixture of human faeces, methamphetamine, and PFASs (“forever chemicals”). A detailed composition analysis suggests they may have broken off a giant “fatberg” out at sea before washing ashore.
Reports of the phenomenon first started appearing on Oct. 16, when lifeguards on Coogee beach reported numerous black spheres on the sand that appeared to be tar.
Preliminary testing by Randwick Council confirmed they were consistent with tar balls made up of oil and debris.
Other sightings were soon reported at nearby Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama, and Maroubra beaches.
As health authorities believed the tar could be toxic, they had ordered the beaches closed, issued public health warnings, and commenced cleanup efforts.
However, a team of scientists from University of New South Wales (UNSW)—led by Jon Beves and William Donald, associate professor and professor of chemistry, respectively—set out to discover the true composition of the mystery objects and where they came from.
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The researchers concluded that “high levels of fats, oils, greasy molecules and calcium, along with the low solubility, are consistent with a ”fatberg“: a congealed mass of fats, oils and greasy molecules that can accumulate in sewage.“The detection of markers of human faecal matter, medication and recreational drugs suggest the origin may be sewage or other urban effluent.”
Origin Unknown
While the composition of the black balls suggests they may be similar to fatbergs, Beves and Donald said they can’t definitively confirm their exact origin.
“The black ball incident does highlight the broader issue of pollution along Sydney’s coastline,” they pointed out.
Workers in protective suits conduct a cleanup operation to clear mysterious “tar balls” washed ashore on Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 17, 2024. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images
“Recent reports indicate about 28 percent of monitored swimming sites in New South Wales (NSW) are prone to pollution. Many receive poor water quality ratings, especially after rain.
While the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said they had considered several possible causes including a shipping spill or wastewater outflow, but the “complex composition” of the balls meant they were unable to confirm their exact origin.
When the balls were first discovered, Sydney Water said there were no issues with either the Bondi or Malabar water resource recovery facilities.
Transport for NSW’s maritime division examined weather patterns in the days leading up to the event, but nothing conclusive could be determined.
Among the possible origins are that they came from the local sewer system or been discharged from a boat, or washed from the sewers into stormwater drains and then to the ocean.
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said investigations were continuing to establish the source of the pollution and who was responsible.
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