🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: 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 removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers 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 participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.