🔗 Share this article

The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

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

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

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

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. 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 contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many beads 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 pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

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

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.