🔗 Share this article

Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest 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, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. 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 cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads 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 clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants 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 meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.