🔗 Share this article

The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting 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 contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers 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 local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.