Valerie Volcovici

US agencies to monitor drinking water for microplastics, medicine

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Item 1 of 4 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin looks on during a briefing on microplastics at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC, US, April 2, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

[1/4]Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin looks on during a briefing on microplastics at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC, US, April 2, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno Purchase Licensing Rightsopens a new tab
  • Governors, environmental groups asked to move
  • Studies link microplastics to cancer and reproductive risk
  • Health Secretary Kennedy has vowed to fight plastic pollution

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

The joint announcement was welcomed by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. a victory for President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” program, whose priorities include reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines and promoting whole foods in the new dietary guidelines.

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The EPA will now include microplastics and pharmaceuticals in the sixth List of Pollutants, which would mean that they will begin to be tested and monitored under the Safe Drinking Water Act and receive funding for research, which is a precursor to future regulation if they are determined to threaten the public water system.

“We can’t catch what we can’t measure. We can’t control 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 failing to address their concerns, including microplastics, and not applying stricter regulations to pesticides.

“For a long time, Americans have been ignored while raising the alarm about plastics in their drinking water. That ends today,” Zeldin said in a press conference.

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

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Seven US governors from states including New Jersey and Michigan along with 175 environmental and health groups late last year filed a petition asking the EPA to add microplastics to the list of waste to be tested. This list is updated every five years.

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that have been found everywhere from inside the human body to drinking water to the depths of the oceans and Arctic ice. Some studies link it to cancer or the risk of having children.

Plastics industry groups have dismissed the studies and say the science is not settled on the dangers of 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 plastics manufacturers, said the group supports science-driven testing 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 welcomed the Republican candidate, Trump, whose administration last year warned countries to resist any attempt to shut down plastic production under a possible UN treaty to reduce plastic pollution.

Pharmaceuticals enter water systems through improper disposal and human waste.

EPA will also release human health standards for 374 drugs to be tested.

Reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Additional reporting by Leah Douglas; Edited by David Gregorio

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