Scientists have revealed the “disgusting” truth behind the origin of the mysterious “tar balls” that washed up on Sydney beaches and sparked a health panic. A multidisciplinary team of scientists at the University of NSW have spent weeks analysing the mysterious balls – first spotted on the shores of Coogee Beach last month. Associate Professor Jon Beves, from the university’s School of Chemistry, said the material was far closer to “human generated waste” and was not solely attributable to waste run-off from an oil spill, as originally thought.
The sticky balls contained hundreds of different components, including molecules that derive from cooking oil and soap scum, faeces, PFAS chemicals, steroidal compounds, antihypertensive medications, pesticides and veterinary drugs, Professor Beves said. Radiocarbon dating of the samples indicated the balls contained about 70 per cent modern carbon and 30 per cent fossil carbon. Professor Beves said modern carbon included any carbon derived from plants and animals, as opposed to fossil fuels, while the surface was made up of about 85 per cent modern carbon and 15 per cent fossil carbon.
Modern carbon includes carbon derived from plants and animals, as opposed to fossil fuels. “The higher concentration of modern carbon at the surface may result from the loss over time of components that evaporate more easily,” he said. An elemental and X-ray analysis by the team revealed the balls contained “significant” levels .