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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and perish.

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

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; 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 remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless 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 local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.