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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish 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."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.