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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".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, 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 remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in 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 devastating incident. It’s awful."

"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 countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove 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 requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.