Scientists Reveal 'Disgusting' Truth Behind Mysterious Balls That Shut Down Beaches in Australia
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The mysterious debris, initially thought to be tar balls, began appearing on beaches in Sydney last month
Brook Mitchell/Getty
Workers in hazmat suits cleaning up mysterious tar balls found in Sydney, Australia beachesThe composition of the mysterious balls that washed up on the shores of Australia last month has been revealed — and scientists say the truth is "much more disgusting" than they initially thought.
Starting mid-October, thousands of sticky blobs the size of golf balls were discovered on Sydney's Bondi Beach and other shores, NBC News reported. As a result, eight beaches were closed for several days as authorities cleaned up, according to the BBC.
Originally, authorities said that preliminary test results indicated that the mysterious blobs were tar balls, which form when oil comes into contact with debris and water, but as it turns out, that's not quite what happened.
"What we found is much more — this is not going to sound very scientific — but much more disgusting than we previously thought," research team member William Alexander Donald told NBC News.
UNSW Chemistry
Mysterious beach blobs washed up on the beaches of AustraliaRelated: Japanese Telescope Captures Image of Mysterious Spiral Flying Over Hawaii — See the Eerie Video
According to an analysis released by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority on Wednesday, Nov. 6, the debris comprised "fatty acids, petroleum hydrocarbons, and other organic and inorganic materials."
"The investigation has revealed that the balls contain hundreds to thousands of different materials, including human hair and various fibres," officials wrote, noting that the mixture also included "cooking oils, soaps, and skincare items."
But that's not everything. The BBC reported that blood pressure medication and pesticides were found in the balls as well, while Donald told NBC News they also contained trace amounts of recreational drugs and birth control.
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If that sounds bad, officials say they smell even worse.
"They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you've ever smelt," lead investigator Jon Beves told Australian outlet 9News.
Brook Mitchell/Getty
A worker in a hazmat suit cleans the beaches of AustraliaRelated: Mystery in Japan: Authorities Are Perplexed After a Large Metal Sphere Appeared on a Beach
As for how the balls ended up in the water, well, authorities haven't figured that out quite yet.
"Authorities have considered several possible causes, such as a shipping spill or wastewater outflow," the EPA wrote. "However, due to the complex composition of the balls and the time they have spent in the water, testing has not been able to confirm their exact origin."
According to the BBC, Sydney Water has said there are no known waste systems issues.
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And not knowing where they came from opens the door to it happening again.
As Beves told 9News, "unless you know where that waste source has come from there's no reason to think there couldn't be more in the future."
