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Latin Times
Latin Times
National
Elizabeth Urban

Ominous Smelly Balls That Shut Down Australian Beach Finally Explained: 'Absolutely Disgusting'

The little black balls that littered beaches were found to mostly be made up of calcium, fats and oils, but also contained more “disgusting” components, such as human waste, THC, methamphetamine, medications and chemicals. (Credit: 9News)

Previously discovered smelly balls that confused and worried Australians, leading beaches to be shut down, have finally been identified by scientists.

The little black balls that littered beaches were found to mostly be made up of calcium, fats and oils, but also contained human fecal matter, THC, methamphetamine, medications and chemicals as reported by 9News.

"They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you've ever smelt," Jon Beves, lead investigator and associate professor, told 9News.

The balls were originally thought to have been the result of an oil spill, but the results were found to be "inconsistent" with that initial theory.

"They're consistent with human-generated waste, the sort of thing that you would have in a sewer," Beves told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "I don't know if it's come from our local sewer system, or if it's been discharged from a boat, or if it's been washed from the sewers into the stormwater, or some other origin that we really don't know.

Bondi, Bronte, Maroubra and Tamarama beaches were closed to the public Oct. 16 after the balls were discovered by lifeguards. The source of the balls has yet to be identified.

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