The use of tiny toxic plastic beads in sewage treatment plants should be banned across the country, an MP and wildlife experts have said following a devastating spill at an internationally significant nature reserve.
Hundreds of millions of “biobeads” washed up on Camber Sands beach in East Sussex last month after a disaster at Southern Water's wastewater treatment plant. caused a catastrophic spill. This has upset and alarmed local residents and conservationists as the beads are not only unsightly but also pose a deadly threat to wildlife.
Scientists from King's College London tested the beads and found that they contained heavy metals, including lead and arsenic.
Local Labor MP Helena Dollimore launches campaign on Thursday with Wildlife Hoping to ban the use of these beads forever. The government or regulator does not keep records of how many aquatic plants use the pellets, the condition of the containers they are stored in, or the risk posed to beaches near where they are stored.
Activists will gather at Rye Harbor Nature Reserve, an internationally important habitat for rare wading birds, to call for a ban on the beads.
Guardian study discovered at least 15 healing structures using these beads located around the south and southwest coast of England. These plants are older, mostly built in the 1990s and early 2000s. They use billions of floating plastic beads to create layers of biofilm—water-purifying bacteria—that are separated from the environment by a mesh screen. Recent technological advances mean that water can now be purified using electric current and fixed ceramic or concrete surfaces. There are similar, but more expensive glass products that are less harmful to the environment.
Dollimore, MP for Hastings and Rye, said: “A month ago I didn't know these plastic pellets were being used at local sewage treatment plants until 320 meters washed up on our beaches and nature reserve, causing an environmental disaster. Using pellets is outdated technology but there are better modern methods. So why are water companies still using them at coastal stations – the same where they can do the most damage? We encourage them to throw the balls in the trash.”
The granules contain high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have been linked to cancer. They often contain toxins including lead, antimony and bromine. Once in the sea, they attract algae, making it smell like food to sea creatures, which then ingest it and can be poisoned.
The local Wildlife Trust is struggling to cope with the leak. Conservationists are working tirelessly to remove the beads, which has been difficult as they are trapped in fragile habitats including salt marshes and pebbles. The foundation said it would commission autopsies on the dead birds found to determine whether the beads were the cause of death. The reserve is loved by birds such as pigeons due to the abundance of seeds that can be found in the mudflat; but they are identical in size to bioballs, so it is likely that they will be ingested.
Henri Brocklebank, director of conservation at Sussex Wildlife Trust, said: “Rye Harbor Nature Reserve is internationally important for its birds, species of which travel thousands of miles to feed and breed here. The biopellets are small and buoyant, not unlike many of the foods these birds seek out. The effects of bioplastics accumulating in the digestive system are well documented, but the effects of any contaminants that may be released in an acidic intestinal system Removing these birds from the environment is of the utmost importance, but I fear our grandchildren will still be finding them for years to come.
“There is only one way to ensure we never have a biobead spill again and that is to stop using them in our wastewater treatment plants. They are old and unnecessary technology and we must ensure their use is phased out as quickly as possible.”
Water Minister Emma Hardy has written to water companies to find out how much they are using the beads. The Environment Agency is continuing to investigate Southern Water following the Camber Sands spill.
Southern Water apologized for the spill and said it could not comment on third party testing results.
Defra has been contacted for comment.
