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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

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

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

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

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers 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 contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away 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 biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council 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 shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.