Vithanage Erandi Kawshalya Madhushani Jade Times Staff
V.E.K. Madhushani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Australia.
Sydney’s Iconic Beaches Temporarily Closed After ‘Disgusting’ Contaminant Discovery
Australian scientists have resolved the mystery behind the sticky black blobs that washed up on some of Sydney's most popular beaches last month. Originally mistaken for tar balls, these pollutants have now been identified as a mix of human waste, cooking oil, industrial chemicals, and even traces of illicit drugs.
The sticky blobs began appearing on eight beaches, including Bondi, on October 16, prompting beach closures and extensive cleanup efforts. According to recent chemical testing, the balls are most likely the result of a sewage spill, though their exact origin remains unknown.
Early speculation by New South Wales authorities suggested the balls were composed of fatty acids, fuel oil, and various chemicals commonly found in cleaning and cosmetic products. However, further analysis has confirmed they did not originate solely from an oil spill or waste discharge from ships. Each ball displayed a firm outer surface partially hardened by sand and calcium deposits encasing a softer core that contained materials like cooking oil, soap molecules, blood pressure medications, pesticides, hair, methamphetamine, and veterinary drugs.
“They smell worse than anything you’ve ever encountered,” said Associate Professor Jon Beves, the lead investigator from the University of NSW. The substance composition is similar to fat, oil, and grease clogs, known as "fatbergs," which often form in sewage systems. Professor William Alexander Donald explained that the presence of recreational drugs, industrial chemicals, and waste residue “pointed us to sewage and other urban effluent sources.”
Reports indicate that similar, smaller blobs have occasionally washed up on Sydney beaches over the past two years, although Sydney Water reported no current issues with waste systems in the city. The mystery behind these “fatberg-like” pollutants may serve as a reminder of the environmental challenges associated with urban waste and effluent management.
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