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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. 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 raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.