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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. 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 working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company 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 meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.