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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets 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 concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, 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 over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

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

"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, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets 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 aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.