Sydney’s beaches have reopened after being closed earlier in the week due to the appearance of mysterious black tar-like balls that raised health concerns.
Eight beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach, were shut down, and a large-scale cleanup was launched as officials tested the deposits.
The New South Wales Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe, confirmed that while the source of the pollution remains unknown, the balls consist of fatty acids and chemicals commonly found in cosmetics and cleaning products, mixed with some fuel oil.
Authorities, including the New South Wales Maritime Authority and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), have confirmed that the tar balls are not highly toxic to humans, though beachgoers are advised not to touch them.
Investigations are still ongoing to determine the origin and responsible parties. In the meantime, beachgoers are urged to report any sightings to lifeguards and to wash their hands with soap and water or baby oil if they come into contact with the substances.
At @UNSWScience we have been investigating the tar balls that washed up on Coogee and other Sydney beaches.
What do we know (and not know!) so far?
Here comes our thread! pic.twitter.com/udBtkMDMsd— Jon Beves (@JonBeves) October 18, 2024
Tanker’s waste discharge at sea. Much cheaper than in port….
‘Bunker C’ fuel oil…same as that which has washed-up on the beaches in Florida from oil tankers which were torpedoed 82 years ago by U-Boats during World War Two.
Most beach-goers carried fingernail polish remover and old rags to wipe the goo off of their feet before getting into their cars, or tracking the oil into their homes.
But, it’s better than the fields of France where unexploded war ordnance is still being plowed-up and then detonates killing an average of 4 farmers per year and injuring many more from their tractors plowing up a live round…or-
The neighbourhoods that are still digging-up UXO in the new ‘developments’ that can blow an entire city block…
And in the Middle East, it’s radioactive Depleted Uranium (DU) splinters and spent ammo that is still causing birth defects in the Middle East and in the families of those who…’served’ there over the last 25 years.
The two Gulf Wars gave us ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ via poisoning due to DU, Chemical Warfare, Anthrax Vaccines & Burning Oil Wells…
Vietnam gave us Agent Orange….
Pacific Nuclear testing gave us unheard-of or very rare radiation-related cancers…
The products of war ALWAYS comes back to haunt the combatants and the countries that were involved in the same!
Now that has vectored off to include DNA-specific targeting bio-weapons, as noted in the Ukraine when the Russians seized the results of the bio-labs that U.S. Politicians have a ‘vested interest’ in.