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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued 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 awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants 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 meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, 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 contacted for comment.