The joint initiative by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services was unveiled on Thursday as part of a broader public health agenda backed by President Donald Trump, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
New contaminants added for monitoring
Under the plan, microplastics and pharmaceuticals will be included in the sixth Contaminant Candidate List, a regulatory mechanism under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
This designation means the substances will be monitored and studied nationwide, with federal funding allocated for research into their presence and potential health impacts.
Officials say the move is a precursor to possible regulation if the substances are found to pose risks to public water systems.
“We cannot treat what we cannot measure. We cannot regulate what we don’t understand,” said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a press conference.
Growing concern over microplastics
Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic found in water, food and even human bodies, have increasingly drawn scientific and public attention.
Some studies suggest links to cancer and reproductive harm, although industry groups argue that the evidence remains inconclusive.
The EPA’s decision follows mounting pressure from environmental advocates and policymakers to address the issue more directly.
Last year, a coalition of US governors and more than 170 environmental and health organisations formally petitioned regulators to include microplastics in the monitoring framework.
Pharmaceutical residues also under review
The agency will also track pharmaceutical contaminants, which can enter water systems through improper disposal and human waste.
In addition, the EPA plans to release human health benchmarks for 374 pharmaceutical substances, providing a scientific basis for evaluating potential risks.
Support and criticism from stakeholders
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the move as a response to longstanding public concern.
“For too long, Americans have been ignored as they sound the alarm about plastics in their drinking water. That ends today,” he said.
Environmental groups welcomed the step as progress, though some said it does not go far enough in addressing broader issues such as plastic production and pesticide regulation.
Industry representatives, including the American Chemistry Council, said they support science based monitoring but cautioned that research on the health effects of microplastics remains unsettled.
Part of wider policy direction
The initiative aligns with the administration’s broader “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which has focused on environmental health and preventive measures.
While the inclusion of microplastics and pharmaceuticals does not immediately impose regulatory limits, it lays the groundwork for future standards depending on scientific findings.
Experts say the monitoring phase will be critical in determining whether stricter controls are warranted and how they might affect water systems and industry practices across the United States.
