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

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, 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 contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.