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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries 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, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, 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 participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away 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 origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.