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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

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

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, 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 contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. 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 dark beads, 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of polymer pellets 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 beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.