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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, 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 water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting dozens of bags 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.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. 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 keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks 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."

"Local residents are laboring diligently 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 aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.