More details have become known about the strange blocks found on the coast of Canada, although their origin remains unknown. In autumn, on the beaches of Newfoundland, some striking white blocks were located that have generated debate about their nature.
Some experts and curious people have suggested that these mysterious objects could be fungi, mold, palm oil, paraffin, ambergris or even expanded polystyrene.
One hiker commented that the blocks reminded him of the bread dough used to prepare “toutons”, a traditional recipe that is fried in pork fat.
A spokesperson for Canada’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change explained to the Globe and Mail in October that The material does not correspond to hydrocarbons, lubricants, biofuels or biodiesel.
On the other hand, a marine biologist from Fisheries and Oceans Canada pointed out that the fragments are not marine sponges. nor any organism containing biological materials.
Possible identification: butyl rubber
Chris Kozak, professor of chemistry at Canada Memorial University, believes that could have identified the composition of the materialal, according to sources such as The New York Times and the BBC.
After conducting analysis with his team of students, Kozak determined that the blocks would be synthetic rubber, a substance used in adhesives, nail polish, and to clean ducts in the oil industry.
Kozak notified these results to the Canadian government, which also conducted its own studies, according to what was reported by the CBC network.
The Canadian Ministry of Environment, in statements reported by the BBC, confirmed that it was aware of Kozak’s investigations. However, ministry specialists disagree with their conclusions. and do not support external theories about the origin or composition of the material.
An unsolved mystery
Although the tests carried out by Kozak’s team, llamado Project Unknown Glob, can confirm the composition of the material, its origin and how it reached the ocean remain unclear.
The Newfoundland region has a past linked to the fishing and oil industry, with shipyards and extraction plants. However, the blocks could have traveled great distances before reaching the coast.
Speaking to The Guardian, Kozak suggested that large quantities of this material could be accumulated on the bed of the Atlantic.
Although Kozak claims that the blockswith a characteristic smell of turpentine, They are not toxic, they could pose a threat to marine ecosystems.
“Marine animals could mistake them for food, since they could look like squid or jellyfish,” he explained to the BBC.
Meanwhile, Environment Canada continues working to clarify the enigma of these fragments found on its coasts.
