🔗 Share this article

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

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, 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 top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens 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 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 origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.