The first thing I did was poke it': Canada beach blobs mystery solved by chemists
Briefly

When we conducted infrared spectroscopy, we found chemical bonds consistent with polyvinyl acetate, which is often used as an adhesive in the shipping industry. This discovery was intriguing as it points towards a man-made source of the blobs.
The blobs were initially suspected to be polyurethane foam used in boat insulation, but the absence of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur ruled this out, contradicting earlier suggestions from Canada's environment ministry.
The initial observations of the blobs revealed they were rubbery, similar to overworked bread dough, with a smell reminiscent of solvents found in hardware stores — providing crucial insights about their composition.
Residents in Newfoundland have been perplexed by these strange blobs for over a month, highlighting the community's concern and eagerness to identify the source of these mysterious masses.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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