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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. 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 very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads 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 pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

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

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.