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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: 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 draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details 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 black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

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

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove 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 the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.