🔗 Share this article

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

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely 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 polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick 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 accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove 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 source of these pellets, 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 PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect 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 a statement.