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

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting 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 working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, 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 commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume 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 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 accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small 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 impossible task – 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

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

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.