SYDNEY, Jan 14 (Bernama-dpa) -- Nine Sydney beaches were shut after ball-shaped debris washed up along the shore, local authorities said on Tuesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
The beaches shut due to the discovery of the "white/grey, ball-shaped debris" including iconic Manly in Sydney's Northern Beaches.
The Northern Beaches Council said the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) alerted it of the debris. The council said it was "working closely with the state agency to collect samples for testing".
"So far, most samples identified are marble-sized with a few larger in size," the council said.
"The council is organising the safe removal of the matter and is inspecting other beaches," it added, also advising the public to stay away from the debris.
Some popular Sydney beaches including Coogee, in the eastern suburbs, were closed in October after mysterious black balls washed up there. A similar event again occurred in December in the area near Sydney airport.
Of the debris that washed up in October, the EPA said results indicate "their origin is likely a source that releases mixed waste", adding that their origin could not be identified.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, meanwhile, said the balls from the October event were not natural and could not be attributed solely to an oil spill, as it was initially thought.
"It is most consistent with human-generated waste," UNSW professor Jon Beves said last month, listing "molecules that derive from cooking oil and soap scum, PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) chemicals, steroidal compounds, anti-hypertensive medications, pesticides and veterinary drugs" among the "hundreds of different components" found in the balls.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
