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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

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

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, 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 pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. 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 cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

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 awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, 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 impossible task – 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 seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, 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 contacted for a statement.