🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is currently investigating 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, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

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

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, 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 pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct 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 millions black pellets, 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 worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. 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. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.