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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there 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 a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"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 source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.