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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

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

He added 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 story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council 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 vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.