🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale 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 commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"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 plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together 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 beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. 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 most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source 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 dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

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

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel 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 revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.