🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently 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 origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.