US agencies to monitor drinking water for microplastics, pharmaceuticals

By Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced that they will monitor the impact of microplastics and pharmaceuticals on drinking water, the first step toward assessing their health risks and shaping new policies.

The joint announcement was hailed by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as a win for President Donald Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, whose priorities have included reducing the number of recommended ‌childhood vaccines and promoting whole foods in new dietary guidelines.

The EPA will now include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on the sixth Contaminant Candidate List, which would mean they would start being tested and monitored under the Safe Drinking Water Act and receive funding for research, a precursor to future regulation if they are determined to threaten public water systems.

"We cannot treat what we cannot measure. We cannot regulate what we don't understand," Kennedy said at a press conference at EPA headquarters.

Zeldin and the EPA have drawn criticism from MAHA activists for falling short on addressing their concerns, including microplastics, and not applying more stringent rules on pesticides.

"For too long, Americans have been ignored as they sound the alarm about plastics in their drinking water. That ends today," Zeldin said at the press conference.

Supporters of RFK, Jr. and his MAHA platform helped elect President Donald Trump in 2024.

MOVE FOLLOWS PETITION

Seven U.S. governors from states including New Jersey and Michigan as well as 175 environmental and health groups late last year filed a legal petition calling on the EPA to add microplastics to the list of contaminants to monitor. The list is updated every five years.

Microplastics are microscopic pieces of plastic that have been discovered everywhere from inside human bodies to drinking water to the depths of oceans and Arctic ice. Some studies have linked them to cancers or reproductive harm.

Plastic industry groups have dismissed these studies and said the science is not settled concerning the harms caused by microplastics.

Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and former EPA regional administrator, said the EPA's move is "an important first step."

Kimberly Wise White, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the American Chemistry Council, which represents plastic manufacturers, said the group supports science-driven monitoring of drinking water for microplastics.

When Kennedy ran for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, he pledged to tackle plastic pollution, including its production. He later endorsed Republican candidate Trump, whose administration last year warned countries to oppose any attempt to cap plastic production under a potential UN treaty to limit plastic pollution.

Pharmaceuticals enter water systems through improper disposal and human waste.

The EPA will also release human health benchmarks for 374 pharmaceuticals to be monitored.