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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, 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 create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, 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 impossible task – 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 removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"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 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 interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.