But not made of tar
Balls on the beach “even more disgusting” than expected
A popular beach in Sydney had to be closed in mid-October due to mysterious black balls that had washed up on the shore. It was initially assumed that they could be lumps of tar. "What we found is - this is not going to sound very scientific - much more disgusting than we previously thought," said one researcher.
The golf ball-sized globules that washed up on Coogee Beach puzzled the scientists. The lumps were collected in protective suits and the investigation has now been completed. The results shocked the researchers, as they have now announced.
The balls are a mixture of decomposed cooking oil, hair and food scraps, according to the New South Wales Environment Agency. Interestingly, traces of recreational drugs and contraceptives were also found in the lumps - and there is a logical, albeit repulsive, explanation for this.
Similar substance to lumps of fat in sewers
The signs indicate that the lumps are largely made up of human excrement. Normally, such substances are found in "grease mountains" that typically form in urban sewers - this build-up of waste material can cause serious blockages in the sewer system when grease and other carelessly flushed items stick together to form a hard mass.
"Worse than anything I've ever smelled"
"In testing, we found that these balls smelled worse than anything you've ever smelled - at least to me, worse than anything I've ever smelled before," explained chemistry professor William Alexander Donald, who was part of the research team.The latest findings suggest that a sewage leak is the most likely origin of these mysterious black balls.
The beach was closed in mid-October after the spheres appeared. Residents were warned not to touch the balls as it was not known whether they could be carcinogenic.
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