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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

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

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

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

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.