🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume 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.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

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

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.