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One of the fatbergs which washed up on a Dublin beach. Fingal County Council
congealed balls of fat
Warning as 'oily fatbergs' turn up on Irish beaches
Some of the congealed balls were spotted on Hoare’s Rock near Skerries, north Dublin.
THE PUBLIC HAS been warned after potentially toxic balls of fat have washed up on a Dublin beach.
Fingal County Council issued a warning for people to be vigilant for ‘Palm Oil Fatbergs’ which may be along the coast as they can be particularly dangerous to dogs.
Dogs love the “diesel-like” smell of the oily lumps but they can kill the animals due to their toxicity.
The council warned that a number of fatbergs were found on Sunday at Hoare’s Rock, Skerries, and results from laboratory tests have shown that the substance was palm oil.
A spokesperson for the council said it is believed the oil was part of a consignment which came off a ship in the English Channel about 18 months ago. The council believes it was washed to Irish shores after last weekend’s storm.
The spokesperson said: “We believe the discovery of this material in Skerries on Sunday is an isolated incident as we have not had any other sightings along the Fingal coastline. The material is a solid white substance which is known as a ‘Palm Oil Fatberg’ and they can range in size from being as small as a golf ball to as big as a boulder. We are asking the public to be vigilant as this substance can be harmful to dogs.”
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