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

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

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

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, 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.

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

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story 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 dark beads, nestled under seaweed. 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 worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

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

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.