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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, 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 top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline 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 won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water 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."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "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 ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling 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 contacted for comment.