🔗 Share this article

The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest 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 form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. 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 looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – 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 encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.