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HomeLatest NewsChemicals identified in 'mystery balls' as more wash up at Little Manly

Chemicals identified in ‘mystery balls’ as more wash up at Little Manly

Northern Beaches Council has released more results relating to the ‘mystery balls’ washed up on the Northern Beaches last week.

They indicate the presence of saturated fatty acids, along with faecal coliforms and E-coli. Essentially, it indicates sewerage. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken its own samples for analysis and will be able to compare those with Council’s. It is hoped EPA testing will help identify the source.

The similar looking marble-sized balls found on the East’s shores around October last year contained a mix of human faeces, oils, fuel and even recreational drugs.

The origins of the balls are still unknown, but Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins says she hopes their source will be identified so work can be done to prevent reoccurrence.

“Northern Beaches Council is hoping that the EPA analysis will identify the source so that they can stop this from happening at other beaches,” the Mayor said.

“We are continuing to conduct regular inspections of our beaches and encourage the community to report any sightings.”

Nine beaches were closed last week while Council clean up crews removed the potentially hazardous ball-shaped debris. More were found this week among pumice at Little Manly and West Esplanade Cove.

Council said their cleansing team removed a large amount of debris from Little Manly yesterday and again returned this morning where less than a dozen balls were collected.

Council has said they will not be conducting further testing on the balls found this week.

If more debris are found on beaches in the area, people are advised not to handle it but to report it to Council Lifeguards, the EPA’s Environment Line on 131 555 or Council’s Customer Service team on 1300 343 343.  

Previously

More ‘mysterious balls’ of debris were found washed up at Little Manly beach yesterday, 20 January, following last week’s closure of nine beaches when hundreds arrived out of ‘nowhere.’

A small number of balls were also discovered washed over the weekend. This is the first known arrival harbourside. Beaches were closed again yesterday, but due to large swell rather than pollution.

Traces of hydrocarbons and other materials were found in the objects, according to some early test results from Northern Beaches Council.

Multiple beaches have been closed ad Northern Beaches Council and EPA investigate washed-up ‘balls’

As suspected, the ‘other materials’ are said to be consistent with the chemicals found by NSW EPA tests at other Eastern Suburbs beaches last year in October; this included to be a mix of human faeces, oils, fuel and even recreational drugs.

The tests conducted are only preliminary and further results are to be independently conducted by the EPA. Council said they will continue to monitor the beaches for any more occurrences of the balls. The EPA said it was unable to identify the source of last year’s batch. It is hoped this year’s specimens will provide better insight.

There is strong speculation it’s the coagulation of our own sewerage pumped out to sea several kilometres off the coastline and brought back in during the storms. We are looking into this line of inquiry further.

The beaches affected last week were Manly to North Narrabeen, with the swimming locations reopened the following morning, with the exception of Dee Why and South Curl Curl which opened that afternoon.

Clean up crews were deployed by Council throughout the beaches to ensure shores were safe and pollution free.

Manly Beach perceived as hazardous for an array of reasons today.

Over the weekend further unwanted debris, in this case polystyrene balls, littered West Esplanade at Manly.

Northern Beaches Council said it was impossible to narrow down the source of the litter due to the areas location in relation to Sydney Harbour, and the vast amount of floating debris caught from it.

Clean up crews were sent on Monday to remove the large amount of the balls, but due to the size and nature of the material, it was difficult to completely eradicate it from the beach.

Polystyrene balls washed up at West Esplanade Cove on Sunday (19 January)

What to do if you come across the grey balls

The community is urged not to handle the grey-ball debris but to contact the EPA’s Environment Line on 131 555 or Council’s Customer Service team on 1300 343 343.

If you come across the styrofoam, however, feel free to pick up a bucket.

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