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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

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

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing 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 contacted for comment.