Mysterious Glitter Stumps Indiana Officials

A mysterious glitter has officials in Hammond, Ind. stumped.

State investigators confirmed Friday the glittery substance reported in a Roberstdale, Ind. neighborhood earlier this week is not a product of a steelamking process called kish graphite, but the Indiana Department of Environmental Management said the material is a metallic and magnetic flake, according to the Northwest Indiana Times.

Hammond reported complaints to the IDEM after residents near the 1500 block of Brown Avenue reportedly made complaints of a black and silver glitter in yards and on vehicles and outdoor furniture.

Because it is unclear what the substance is, officials cannot say if it is toxic or not, the NWI Times reported, but because they are larger particles they don't appear to post an immediate health threat.

The area near where the glitter was found has two neighboring industries possibly related to the sparkling substance-- oil and steel, but officials suspect the substance is steel mill-related.

While it is not clear where exactly the mysterious material is raining down from, officials said they need to identify it quick and target the source, the NWI Times reported.

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