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The water company is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes the beads 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 East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces 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 can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore 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 dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.