What were the sticky, black lumps that washed up on some of Sydney’s renowned beaches last month? Australian scientists have found the answer to this riddle.
According to researchers, what were initially thought to be tar balls turned out to be a “disgusting” mixture of illegal substances, cooking oil, chemicals, and human waste.
Following the appearance of thousands of black deposits on October 16, eight beaches, including Bondi, were closed for several days and a thorough cleanup was mandated.
Although their precise origin is still unknown, chemists’ testing has shown that the balls were most likely the product of a sewage discharge.
Authorities in New South Wales (NSW) stated last month that they believed the items were a combination of gasoline oil, fatty acids, and cleaning chemicals.
