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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

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, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in 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 sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens 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."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

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

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.