🔗 Share this article

The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

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

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, 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."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away 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 pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.