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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting 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 remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.