🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest 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 cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "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 shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, 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 race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

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

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.