Thousands of mysterious black balls that smell ‘worse than ANYTHING’ wash up on iconic beaches – and no one knows why
FOUL-SMELLING black balls have been spotted on multiple Australian beaches – and experts are baffled as to where they came from.
The black spheres have been putting off scientists with their stench ever since they were first discovered.
The answer behind the befuddling balls that have been washing up on Sydney‘s beaches has repulsed locals.
They are actually made up of everything from human faeces, recreational drugs and medication.
University of New South Wales (UNSW) chemistry professor Jon Beves had no explanation for where the balls came from.
John also confirmed that the stench of the mysterious objects was “extremely unpleasant”.
He said: “I don’t know if it’s come from our local sewer system, or if it’s been discharged from a boat, or if it’s been washed from the sewers into the stormwater, or some other origin that we really don’t know.
“It seems they haven’t come from many different locations, they’re consistent with all coming from one location at one time.
“They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you’ve ever smelt.”
Initially, the balls were likened to mini “fatbergs”, made up of human faeces, methamphetamine, human hair, fatty acids, and food waste.
Fatbergs come in all shapes and sizes.
UNSW professor William Alexander Donald added that testing the balls revealed “a different, more disgusting, composition.”
The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) first warned against touching the foul masses on October 17, after they were spotted at eight beaches including Bondi Beach.
The balls likely originated from “a source that releases mixed waste” according to a media release from the EPA on November 6.
“Authorities have considered several possible causes, such as a shipping spill or wastewater outflow,” the statement said.
“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.”
Whilst the exact source of the balls are still unknown, results are likely to come in next week, reports say.
FATBERGS STRIKE
Fatbergs have often been caught in sewage pipes, causing plumbing issues .
A fatberg the “size of a bungalow” and filled with grease and old nappies was found in a London sewer.
Thames Water took two weeks to clear the foul-smelling mass from a conduit in Canary Wharf.
Mat Rimmer, Thames Water‘s head of waste networks, said: “This was a huge, disgusting fatberg that took a great deal of brute force and teamwork to clear.
“Our brilliant engineers were able to clear the huge blockage before it caused serious problems, negotiating tricky and cramped working conditions along the way.
“We’d ask everyone to help fight the fatberg by only flushing the 3Ps – pee, poo and paper – as well as disposing of fat and oils in the bin, not the sink.”
What are fatbergs?
FATBERGS, are balls of compiled of things flushed down the toilet that shouldn’t be there.
This includes anything from old nappies to human hair.
The several parts all mix together with the human faeces flushed down the toilet, which can combine into huge sizes.
Although they come in several sizes, the most notable blockages have seen them as heavy as elephants and as big as bungalows.
They not only have a rancid smell, but they cause huge problems for those tasked with unblocking them from sewage pipes.
Thames Water spends £18 million each year clearing 75,000 blockages from sewers in London and the Thames Valley.
In 2020, a fatberg the size of an African elephant was found in Central London.
The 10-ton mass of fat, grease and other unflushable items, including wet wipes, was tackled with high-powered water jets.
Engineers dug through 300 metres of fat and grease to blast loose what was described as a “massive and disgusting” blockage in Belgravia.
The blockage is one of several fatbergs to have been cleared from the capital’s sewers.