Fingal County Council has issued a warning for people to be vigilant for ‘Palm Oil Fatbergs’ which may be washed up along the coast as they can be particularly dangerous to dogs.
A number were found on Sunday at Hoare’s Rock, Skerries, and results from laboratory tests have showed that the substance was Palm Oil.
It is believed that the Palm Oil was part of a consignment which came off a ship in the English Channel about 18 months ago and was washed ashore by the weekend storm.
The easterly wind is said to have carried the substance to the east coast of Ireland.
The congealed substance has been turning up sporadically on beaches and coasts in England but this is the first time it has been recorded in Fingal.
A Fingal County Council 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.
What is Palm oil ?
Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil that is derived from the palm fruit, grown on the African oil palm tree.
Palm oil is grown in Africa, Asia, North America and South America.
It can be found in around 40-50 per cent of household products in developed countries – including baking goods, confectionery, shampoo, cosmetics, cleaning agents, washing detergents and toothpaste.
Apparently when dogs eat the oil it becomes very glue-like and gets lodged in their body which can cause difficulty breathing.
It can also lead to kidney damage, liver failure, vomiting and diarrhoea in dogs.
The waxy substance is very attractive to dogs, but it can often contain harmful toxins and fuel waste after being dumped in the sea.
