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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.