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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked 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 draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.