🔗 Share this article

The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: 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 draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly 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 pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.