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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, 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 written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, 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 terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

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

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

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

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.