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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"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 draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, 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 local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.