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

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled 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, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: 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 exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – 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 joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

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

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited 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 have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.