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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

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

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "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 draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, 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 removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story 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 millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. 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 local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

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