🔗 Share this article

The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.