Feces and bacteria found in mysterious balls on beaches

The mysterious balls that forced the closure of several beaches in Sydney last week were found to contain saturated acids, E. coli and fecal bacteria, authorities say.

Sydney’s Northern Beaches Council said it had sent the debris to the New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for further analysis.

Nine beaches, including popular spots Manly and Dee Why, were closed on January 14 after the marble-sized balls started washing up.

It came months after thousands of black spots began appearing along the city’s shores in October, prompting authorities to close some of its most famous beaches for several days and order a massive cleanup.

The last batch of balls was cleaned from the harbor beaches this week, the Northern Beaches Council said in a statement on Tuesday.

He urged anyone who spots the balls not to touch them and to contact authorities.

In addition to acids and bacteria, the balls also contain pumice from volcanic rocks.

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Hynes said she hopes the EPA’s analysis will “identify the source so they can stop this from happening to other beaches.”

“We continue to carry out regular inspections of our beaches and encourage the community to report any sightings,” she said.

The the first batch of debris in October initially mistakenly called “tar balls,” they were later found to contain everything from cooking oil and soap molecules to blood pressure medications, pesticides, hair, methamphetamine, and veterinary drugs.

The scientists said they resembled grease, oil and grease stains – often referred to as “grease” – that commonly form in sewage systems.

But Sydney Water said its water treatment plans were operating normally and that there were no known problems with the city’s waste systems.