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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

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

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads 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 pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources 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 known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.