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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

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

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

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

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.