Project Unknown Glob officially began when chemist Chris Kozak finally obtained a sample of a mysterious blob that had recently washed up on the shores of Newfoundland.
Kozak and a team of graduate students had at their disposal Memorial University of Newfoundland's “gorgeous” new science building and “world-class facilities” to perform a series of tests on the white dough-like mass.
“The first thing I did was poke it and smell it,” he said.
Although simple, the initial observations provided Kozak with a wealth of information for his work.
“When we poked it, we found it to be distinctly rubbery, like overworked bread dough. We suspected it was an elastomeric polymer, and the smell was… It was like walking down the solvent aisle at a hardware store.”
For more than a month, residents of Canada's easternmost province have been trying to understand the source of hundreds of pale, gooey blobs used to make dough. Toutona fried Newfoundland delicacy. Some of the chunks were the size of dinner plates.
The sample was provided by Hilary Corlett, an assistant professor in Memorial University's Department of Earth Sciences, who visited Placentia Bay to collect the sample. Her suspicion was that the lump was artificially created.
Kozak's team initially hypothesized that the mass was polyurethane foam, which is used in the fishing industry to insulate boats. But when Kozak ran tests looking for carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen (all substances found in polyurethane), nitrogen was not present. Also, no sulfur was found, ruling out the possibility of polyurethane and natural materials.
This initial finding differed from what Environment Canada said in a news release last month, suggesting the material may be of plant origin.
Kozak then performed infrared spectroscopy and found chemical bonds consistent with polyvinyl acetate, which is commonly used as an adhesive in the shipping industry.
However, mass spectrometry tests carried out on November 6 revealed that the substance also has characteristics of synthetic rubber.
“We've done eight different tests and they all show it's synthetic,” Kozak said.
The new discovery confirmed the researchers' theory that the material was likely a butyl rubber-PVA composite used in the oil and gas industry to clean pipes that supply oil to tankers.
This explanation solved a mystery that had puzzled residents and experts alike.
“It's funny how until very late no one thought to contact chemists. Everyone had their own opinions and speculations, but no one really had a scientific and experimental point of view. There was no one there,” Kozak said.
But another feature of the blob worried Kozak. Although non-toxic and safe to handle in its hardened state, the material is denser than water, so much of it sinks into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Canadian Coast Guard previously told residents the chunks had been found along at least 45 miles of coastline.
“All we're seeing is stuff washing up on our shores. We suspect that much of this material is on the ocean floor, being stirred up by the tides.” Kozak said. “This clearly doesn't belong in the environment. This is plastic pollution and my concern is that because of its shape, marine wildlife could mistake it for food.”
Kozak has contacted the federal government about the findings, but has not yet received a response.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment previously told the Guardian that it takes pollution incidents and threats to the environment “very seriously” and that if the agency finds evidence that may violate federal environmental law, ” We will take appropriate action.” Fines under the Fisheries Act for companies found to have released hazardous substances into the water could reach C$6 million.
Kozak said the nature and magnitude of the release suggested the material was of industrial origin.
“I'm glad we can give our residents peace of mind, and now they know they can find out where it came from and who is responsible,” he said. .
“While industry is important to the development of this state, it can also leave a very disastrous environmental footprint.”
