Mystery balls on Sydney beaches found to contain toxic material

The mysterious balls that forced the closure of respective beaches successful Sydney past week were recovered to incorporate saturated fatty acids, E. coli and faecal bacteria, authorities say.

Sydney's Northern Beaches assembly said it has sent the debris to the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for further analysis.

Nine beaches, including fashionable spots Manly and Dee Why, were closed connected 14 January aft the marble-sized balls started washing up.

It came months aft thousands of achromatic blobs started appearing connected the city's coasts successful October, prompting authorities to adjacent immoderate of its astir celebrated beaches for respective days and bid a monolithic clean-up.

The latest batch of balls was cleaned up from harbour beaches this week, the Northern Beaches assembly said successful its connection connected Tuesday.

It urged anyone who spotted the balls not to grip them and to interaction authorities.

Besides the acids and bacteria, the balls besides contained volcanic stone pumice.

Northern Beaches politician Sue Heins said she hopes the EPA investigation volition "identify the root truthful that they tin halt this from happening astatine different beaches".

"We are continuing to behaviour regular inspections of our beaches and promote the assemblage to study immoderate sightings," she said.

The first batch of debris successful October were astatine archetypal mistakenly called "tar balls" but were aboriginal recovered to incorporate everything from cooking lipid and soap scum molecules, to humor unit medication, pesticides, hair, methamphetamine and veterinary drugs.

Scientists said they resembled fat, lipid and grease blobs - often called "fatbergs" - which are commonly formed successful sewage systems.

But Sydney Water has reported that its h2o attraction plants are operating usually and that determination were nary known issues with discarded systems successful the city.