• Posted April 6, 2026

New Plan Aims To Track Microplastics in U.S. Drinking Water, EPA Says

U.S. officials are taking a closer look at what’s in America’s drinking water, including microplastics and leftover medications.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to add these substances to its list of priority pollutants, a move that could spur more research and regulations.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called the effort "a landmark set of actions" by the agency to safeguard the nation’s drinking water.

"This is a direct response to the concern of millions of Americans who have long demanded answers about what they and their families are drinking every day,” he said.

If finalized, the move could expand research into:

• How common these substances are

• How they may harm human health

• Ways to remove them from drinking water as a whole

It could also lead to new rules for water systems. But experts said that this could take years.

The EPA is accepting public comments on the plan for 60 days, The New York Times reported.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that can come from clothing, packaging and other everyday products.

Scientists have found them in human blood and organs, but their health effects are still being studied.

Some research suggests they may be linked to conditions like heart disease, dementia and preterm birth, though experts say more evidence is needed.

Painkillers, antibiotics and antidepressants can also enter water systems. While levels are usually low for humans, they may harm aquatic life, The Times said.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the government will spend $144 million "to measure, understand and to remove microplastics from the human body," The Times reported.

“We are focusing on three questions: What is in the body? What’s causing harm? And how do we remove it?" he added.

Supporters of Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement welcomed the initiative.

“You can’t regulate what you don’t officially track,” health activist Vani Hari, told The Times.

But some environmental experts are skeptical.

"It’s just incredibly ironic," Erik Olson, senior director for environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told The Times. "This is smoke and mirrors. I would not hold my breath that this is going to amount to anything."

More information

The World Health Organization has more on microplastics in drinking water.

SOURCE: The New York Times, April 2, 2026