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

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

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

An expert from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. 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 worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members 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 source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.