The Greek coast guard on Sunday was trying to locate the source of an oil slick that has polluted the west coast of Athens, leaving sludge on at least two beaches, the merchant marine ministry said.
"We're not discounting the possibility that the oil came from Lebanon, but it was probably a ship," a ministry press officer told AFP.
The slick, which appeared on Saturday, brought in by southern winds, was about 50 metres (164 feet) wide, he said, without giving further details on its size.
"The oil coagulated and was swept onto the beaches," he said, adding that a cleanup operation was conducted in the coastal resorts of Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, which include some of Athens' most popular swimming areas.
The ministry earlier this month placed its forces on alert after an oil slick from a Lebanese power utility south of Beirut, destroyed by the Israeli army, arrived on the coast of Syria.
