🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an account.

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

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

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.