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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

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

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, 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 clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.