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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.