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

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative 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 explanation.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. 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 appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers 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 worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed 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 a statement.