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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

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

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.