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

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

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 timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.