🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written 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 fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. 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 really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine 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 interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up 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 beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.