🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number 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 increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

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

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.