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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling 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.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – 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 local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water 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."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect 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 comment.