🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

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

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, 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 reached out to for a statement.