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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official believes the beads 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 the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water 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 overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

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

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