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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a pioneering initiative to investigate the impact of microplastics on human health, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday.
The new program, named STOMP (Systemic Targeting of MicroPlastics), is backed by $144 million in funding and aims to bring together toxicologists, data scientists, and other experts to develop standardized methods for detecting and measuring microplastics within the human body. The initiative will also focus on understanding their health effects and creating strategies to eliminate these particles from the body.
Kennedy emphasized the urgency of the issue, citing research that has found microplastics in human organs, blood, and even the placenta. “We are not dealing with a distant or theoretical risk.
We are dealing with a measurable, growing presence inside the human body,” he said. The program will prioritize vulnerable groups such as pregnant individuals, children, and workers with higher exposure risks.
Microplastics-tiny fragments less than five millimeters in size that originate from the breakdown of larger plastic debris-have infiltrated the environment and human bodies alike. They enter water supplies through littering, storm runoff, and other sources and are not effectively removed by standard water filtration systems, according to the World Health Organization.
In a related development, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that microplastics have been added to the agency’s contaminant candidate list (CCL) for the first time. This list identifies substances that are not yet regulated in public water systems but are recognized as potentially present and warrant further study. While inclusion on the list does not impose regulations, it prioritizes research funding and data collection to better understand how these contaminants affect drinking water quality.
“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,” Zeldin remarked.
Dr. Celine Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and KFF editor-at-large for public health, noted that the addition of microplastics to the CCL marks the beginning of a lengthy process. “Researchers have found that microplastics are widespread in water and the human body, which suggests potential health risks, but we don’t yet have the kind of evidence regulators require to set legal limits,” she explained.
Challenges remain, including the absence of standardized measurement techniques and comprehensive national data on microplastic levels in drinking water. Additionally, clearer evidence is needed to link typical exposure levels to specific health outcomes.
The draft list for CCL 6, which includes microplastics and pharmaceuticals, is open for public comment over the next 60 days before its expected finalization in November 2026. Pharmaceuticals enter water supplies through human waste and improper disposal, prompting the EPA to release health benchmarks for 374 medications to help assess risk.
Currently, the CCL 5 includes 66 chemicals, 12 microbes, and three chemical groups such as PFAS, disinfection byproducts, and cyanotoxins. The upcoming CCL 6 proposes 75 chemicals, nine microbes, and four chemical groups: PFAS, disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics, while removing cyanotoxins from the list.
To minimize personal exposure to microplastics, Dr. Gounder advises avoiding bottled water, refraining from heating food in plastic containers, and improving indoor air quality, as water and air remain primary exposure routes. However, she acknowledges that complete avoidance is currently impossible given the widespread presence of microplastics in the environment.