🔗 Share this article

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

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. 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 exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, 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 polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.