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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, 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 explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested 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 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.