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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks 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 plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, 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 terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently 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 pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

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

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.