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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

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

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site 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 looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, 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 keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

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 biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.