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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

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

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

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

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

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in 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 marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

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

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.