EPA, HHS Announce Historic Actions to Protect Americans from Microplastics and Safeguard Drinking Water

Joint initiative marks first-ever inclusion of microplastics on EPA's Contaminant Candidate List and launches groundbreaking ARPA-H program to detect and remove plastics from the human body

April 2, 2026

Contact Information

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. today announced landmark, coordinated actions to address microplastics contamination, one of the most urgent and growing public health challenges facing Americans. The announcements, made at a press conference at EPA headquarters, represent a major step forward in President Trump's commitment to Make America Healthy Again.

For the first time in the program's history, EPA is including microplastics as a priority contaminant group in its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6), now open for public comment. CCL 6 also includes pharmaceuticals as a group—another first—along with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), disinfection byproducts, 75 individual chemicals, and nine microbes that may be present in public drinking water systems.

The CCL is a critical tool under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that drives research, funding, and future decisions on regulating emerging threats to drinking water. By elevating microplastics and pharmaceuticals to priority group status, EPA is directly responding to the concerns of millions of Americans who have long demanded greater transparency and accountability about what is in their water.

Additionally, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced the launch of STOMP—Systematic Targeting of Microplastics—a first-of-its-kind nationwide initiative to build a comprehensive toolbox for measuring, researching, and removing microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) from the human body. STOMP takes a three-pronged approach:

• Measure: Deploy gold-standard detection technology to accurately quantify microplastics levels in water and human tissue.

• Target: Identify the most harmful plastic contaminants and determine how they enter and move through the body.

• Remove: Develop and validate methods to eliminate microplastics from the human body.

Together, these two initiatives represent the most comprehensive federal effort to date to understand and combat the risks posed by microplastics to public health.

"For too long, Americans have vocalized concerns about plastics and pharmaceuticals in their drinking water. That ends today,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “By placing microplastics and pharmaceuticals on the Contaminant Candidate List for the first time ever, EPA is sending a clear message: we will follow the science, we will pursue answers, and we will hold ourselves to the highest standards to protect the health of every American family.”

“Today, HHS and EPA are taking decisive action to confront microplastics as a growing threat to human health,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Americans deserve clear answers about how microplastics in their bodies affect their health. Through ARPA-H’s STOMP program, we will measure microplastic exposure, identify sources of risk, and develop targeted solutions to reduce it.”

The announcements were unveiled at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Administrator Zeldin and Secretary Kennedy were joined by senior agency officials for a press conference before the public. The press conference was followed by an expert panel discussion examining the scope of microplastics and pharmaceutical contamination in America’s drinking water and the real-world impact of today's actions.

Panelists included EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Jessica Kramer; ARPA-H Director Dr. Alicia Jackson; leading microplastics researcher Dr. Marcus Eriksen; scientist Matthew Campen, whose research has documented the presence of microplastics in human tissue; Leonardo Trasande, an internationally renowned leader in environmental health whose research focuses on identifying the role of environmental exposures in childhood obesity and cardiovascular risks; and Colleen Flaherty, Division Director in EPA’s Office of Water where she leads initiatives to understand and reduce microplastic pollution in the nation’s waterways.

Background

The CCL is published every five years under the SDWA and guides EPA's research priorities, funding decisions, and regulatory agenda for substances not yet subject to national drinking water standards. Inclusion on the CCL does not constitute regulation, but signals that a substance warrants serious scientific attention and may be considered for future regulatory action.

Learn more about CCL 6 and STOMP.

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EPA Takes Bold Action to Ensure Drinking Water is Safe from Microplastics, Pharmaceuticals, and Potential Hidden Contaminants

Historic Step for MAHA Movement: For the first time, EPA targets microplastics and pharmaceuticals as priority drinking water threat groups

April 2, 2026

Contact Information

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – Today, at an event with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a landmark set of actions to safeguard the nation's drinking water from microplastics, pharmaceuticals, forever chemicals, and dozens of other contaminants —delivering on the Trump administration’s promise to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). At the heart of today's announcement is EPA's draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6), which the agency is releasing for public comment, and is a critical tool under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that drives research, funding, and future decisions on regulating emerging threats in public water systems.

The draft CCL 6 includes four contaminant groups—microplastics, pharmaceuticals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and disinfection byproducts—as well as 75 chemicals and nine microbes that may be found in drinking water. For the first time in the program's history, EPA is designating both microplastics and pharmaceuticals as priority contaminant groups—a direct response to the concerns of millions of Americans who have long demanded answers about what they and their families are drinking every day. The CCL helps prioritize funding, research, and information collection to better understand the potential health risks of these substances in drinking water while advancing the agency’s commitment to gold standard science.

“For too long, Americans have vocalized concerns about plastics and pharmaceuticals in their drinking water. That ends today,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “By placing microplastics and pharmaceuticals on the Contaminant Candidate List for the first time ever, EPA is sending a clear message: we will follow the science, we will pursue answers, and we will hold ourselves to the highest standards to protect the health of every American family.”

For years, Americans have sounded the alarm about the potential for silent threats to lurk in America's drinking water. Today's actions take concrete steps to safeguard drinking water:  

• Microplastics—tiny plastic particles that have been detected in human blood, breast milk, and organs—are now officially on EPA's radar as a drinking water priority. This is the first time the agency has elevated microplastics to the CCL as a contaminant group, unlocking focused research and potential future regulation.

• Pharmaceuticals, including antidepressants, hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs that enter water systems through human waste and improper disposal—are also being prioritized as a group for the first time. EPA is simultaneously releasing human health benchmarks for 374 pharmaceuticals, giving states, Tribes, and local water systems a critical new tool to assess risk and take action when drug residues are found at concerning levels.

Next Steps

Publication of the draft CCL 6 in the Federal Register will open a 60-day public comment period. Americans are encouraged to make their voices heard by submitting comments to docket number EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0946 at regulations.gov. EPA will also consult with its independent Science Advisory Board before finalizing the list, which is expected to be signed by November 17, 2026.

The SDWA requires EPA to publish a list of contaminants every five years that are not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulation, that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems, and that may require regulation. The CCL is the first step in the SDWA regulatory process. The human health benchmarks for pharmaceuticals are not regulations and are not enforceable on their own, but they are a vital resource, empowering local decision-makers to evaluate risks and protect their communities when pharmaceutical contamination is detected at concerning levels.

Overview 

Today's actions represent a major step forward for drinking water, ensuring that the science catches up with the real-world challenges Americans face, and giving regulators the tools they need to act. This is a win for every American as the Trump EPA commits to advancing gold standard science to inform policy and ensure the best possible outcomes so parents can feel confident filling their children's glasses at the kitchen sink.

For more information about Contaminant Candidate Lists, visit EPA’s CCL website.