More mysterious balls have washed up across NSW just months after several Sydney beaches were shut down by toxic debris.
Dozens of similar looking objects have been detected at six beaches near Dalmeny and Narooma on the NSW south coast in the last week.
NSW Environmental Protection Authority has confirmed it’s aware of the latest objects that have washed up 350km from Sydney.
‘The debris balls are currently being stored in a licensed waste facility on the South Coast and we are testing them as part of our waste classification process,’ the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday night.
‘We are testing them … to determine how they should be disposed.
‘We are conducting testing to determine what the debris balls found in Dalmeny and Mystery Bay are made of and until that testing is complete, we cannot confirm their contents.’
It comes after the EPA revealed last Friday that 20 balls were found at Pooles Beach near Narooma on December 11.
More balls were found along a 200m stretch of nearby 1080 Beach the same day.
The concerning discovery comes after toxic black balls washed up on seven beaches in Sydney’s east in October, including Bondi, Coogee and Maroubra.
The latest debris balls to wash on NSW beaches are currently being tested
The mysterious objects (pictured) were found at six beaches near Dalmeny and Narooma on the NSW south coast
Affected beaches were shut down as health and safety workers scoured the areas for the strange debris.
Tests found the balls were likely made of medications, human faeces and chemicals but experts were unable to pinpoint the source of the pollution.
Chemical analysis also showed that the orbs contained traces of drugs including THC from cannabis and even methamphetamine.
Traces of cooking oil and soap were also found following further examinations. The debris was also discovered in Kiama in November.
The debris forced officials to close several NSW south coast beaches along the last week over concerns for public safety, but they have since been reopened.
Narooma Chamber of Commerce president Stephanie Dibden said the presence of the debris is the last thing tourism operators need with Christmas just a week away.
Business leaders fear that the mysterious objects found on NSW south coast beaches could impact on tourism over the Christmas period
‘We rely on this six-week Christmas period for the majority of our trade throughout the year,’ Ms Dibden told the ABC.
‘It will cast a big shadow of disappointment for those tourists coming down specifically for that beach escape.
‘Something like this could even put people off from coming.’
Experts have warned the issue poses major risks to people, who visit beaches in the area, and they believe the balls may have floated from Sydney to the south coast.
The EPA previously said it is unclear where the balls came from due to a lack of similar samples.
‘Experts could not determine where the balls originated from as no source samples were available for comparison,’ they said.
In November, University of NSW Associate Professor Jon Beves, who conducted the tests of the balls found on beaches in Sydney, said they were not formed by an oil spill as many thought.
The discovery forced officials to close several beaches along the state’s south coast last week over concerns for public safety (pictured stock image of Narooma)
‘Our analyses show that the material is not natural and cannot be attributed solely to an oil spill,’ Professor Beves said.
‘It is most consistent with human generated waste.’
The EPA has urged people, who have found similar ball-shaped debris, not to pick them up and to notify authorities.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the EPA for further comment.
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