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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears 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 protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures 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 can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets 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 pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.