🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, 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 spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove 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 represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads 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 commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

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

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.