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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

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

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. 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 most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.