Microplastics: RFK Jr. launches $134M national program to study presence in people and drinking water

HHS and the EPA announced STOMP, a $134–144 million program to measure and study microplastics and pharmaceuticals in the human body and drinking water; the EPA also placed microplastics on a draft Contaminant Candidate List and released health benchmarks for nearly 400 pharmaceuticals.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency announced a joint national initiative to study microplastics and pharmaceuticals in people and in drinking water. Officials described a rise in measured plastic particles in human tissues and said the program will aim to better quantify and investigate health effects. The initiative, named STOMP, was given a funding range of about $134 million to $144 million and was presented alongside EPA actions on contaminants. The EPA also released draft guidance materials including a Contaminant Candidate List that names microplastics and health benchmarks for many pharmaceuticals. Key points: - HHS and EPA launched the STOMP initiative, funded at roughly $134–144 million, to measure microplastics in the body and in water and to study potential health effects. - Officials reported that researchers have detected plastic particles in human tissues and that concentrations have been described as increasing in recent years. - The EPA released a draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List that includes microplastics and issued human health benchmarks for nearly 400 pharmaceuticals that can occur in drinking water. Summary: Officials said the program is intended to improve measurement, study biological impacts, and inform future actions related to microplastics and waterborne pharmaceuticals. Undetermined at this time.