HHS and EPA Add Microplastics to Drinking Water Contaminant List and Launch Health Studies

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced measures to address microplastics in the environment. Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters.

These particles can persist in the environment for hundreds or thousands of years and have been detected in human bodies, including in hearts and brains.

For the first time, the EPA is adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its Contaminant Candidate List for drinking water. This list identifies contaminants for further study and helps prioritize funding. Inclusion on the list may lead to future regulations, potentially involving Congress.

The Department of Health and Human Services is launching the Systematic Targeting of Microplastics program, or STOMP, with funding exceeding $134 million. The program will examine how microplastics accumulate in the human body and in drinking water sources. Kennedy discussed the initiative in an interview with Fox News.

“We do not have the science that distinguishes between the impacts of these different types of plastics, and maybe if we identify those impacts, the damaging ones can be immediately eliminated, because you can replace them with something else.”

Emerging research indicates that microplastics may cause inflammation and oxidative stress. Some studies suggest they act as endocrine disruptors, potentially interfering with fertility. Additional research points to associations with higher risks of heart attack, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases when microplastics are present at the cellular level.

Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, participated in a panel during the announcement. Trasande referenced historical efforts to reduce lead exposure in the 1970s, where government action began once dangers were identified, prior to completing all research.

Kennedy attributed environmental contamination from microplastics and pharmaceuticals to industrial sources. He noted that technologies such as carbon filtration could remove some of these substances. Zeldin directed the EPA to conduct studies on regulating discharges of these chemicals.

Zeldin described the issue as bipartisan and emphasized the need for education, transparency, and gold-standard science. He cautioned against uniform federal solutions and highlighted communication gaps that affect public trust. Kennedy and Zeldin are collaborating under President Trump's Make America Healthy Again agenda.

The announcements occur amid growing scientific interest in microplastics' health effects. Affected parties include public health officials, water utilities, pharmaceutical companies, and consumers, particularly children who may face higher exposure risks from food, agriculture, air, water, and drugs.

Future steps include ongoing studies under STOMP and potential EPA regulatory proposals based on findings.