🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears 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, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official 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 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 remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event 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. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.