🔗 Share this article

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

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

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

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

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

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.