🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, 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 environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, 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. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove 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 origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.