Govind Tekale
Nine Sydney beaches closed after marble-sized balls washed up on the shore on Tuesday. These mystery balls—white and grey in color—forced officials to close popular spots like Manly and Dee Why Beach until further notice.
Another such incident happened in October last year, when similar balls appeared on other Sydney beaches. Those earlier balls, which looked black, were initially thought to be tar balls, but testing showed them to be “fatbergs,” consisting of fatty acids, petroleum hydrocarbons, and other organic and inorganic materials.
The October incident revealed a worrying mix in our waters. Testing showed these balls contained things like cooking oils, soap scum, hair, mixed with blood pressure medication, pesticides, and other substances. It’s like finding household waste mixed with harmful materials, all in the water where people swim.
Dr. John Beves, a professor at UNSW School of Chemistry who is trying to analyse these strange balls, says, “ We hadn’t had a chance to analyse these balls; we are trying to get hands on some for further analysis. However, these balls contain substances that are found in sewers; therefore, they are definitely generated by humans, not by any form of oil spill.”
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“We don’t know what they are, so we are still waiting for the test reports to come back; till then, we want everyone to be safe,” says Northern Beach Mayor Sue Heins.
The Northern Beaches Council and EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) are now testing these new balls. They’re also checking other beaches and want people to report if they spot similar waste. They’re comparing these samples with the previous ones to understand any possible connections.
These beach closures affect both local residents and visitors. The EPA continues testing to understand what’s happening to our coastal waters.
These recurring incidents of mystery balls washing ashore raise important questions about waste management in Sydney’s waters and how well our environmental protection measures work. The ongoing EPA testing aims to understand this environmental challenge
