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

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

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, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

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

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.