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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions 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 local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach 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 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 lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

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

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.