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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

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

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items 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 attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"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, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities 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."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.