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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".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling 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.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked 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 attract algae, 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 create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers 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 polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away 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 dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

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

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.