🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

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.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, 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."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site 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 shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members 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 origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling 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 a statement.