EPA Proposes Regulating Microplastics in Drinking Water
Beyond Plastics Applauds Important First Step and Urges Swift Action to Prevent Microplastics From Entering Water Supplies
For Immediate Release: April 2, 2026
Contacts:
Melissa Valliant — melissavalliant@bennington.edu, (410) 829-0726
Judith Enck — judithenck@bennington.edu, (518) 605-1770
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took the first step in designating microplastics as a priority drinking water contaminant group, adding them to the draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6). Microplastics — tiny plastic particles that have been detected in human blood, lungs, heart, brain, breast milk, and more — will now be the subject of focused federal research and potential future regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The draft list is open for a 60-day public comment period, with a final list expected by November 17, 2026.
In response to the announcement, Beyond Plastics released the following statement from Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics president, former EPA regional administrator, and co-author of the new book, "The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late":
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken an important first step to regulate microplastics in drinking water. I applaud this decision by the EPA and urge the agency to move rapidly to not only regulate microplastics in drinking water but to also prevent microplastics from entering our water supplies.”
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the EPA to establish an Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6) that directs public water suppliers to monitor priority contaminants that are not currently being monitored. During this lengthy process, data is to be collected and typically will lead to regulation of the contaminants and direction to states and Indian Nations on how to conduct the monitoring and regulation.
Microplastics are small shards of plastic that are 5 millimeters or less. Nanoplastics are an even more serious threat at 1 micrometer or smaller. These contaminants are found in drinking water, food, air, and various parts of the human body. Humans breathe in and swallow microplastic particles, and scientists have identified them in human blood, kidneys, bone marrow, placenta, breast milk and testicles. Microplastics can even cross the blood brain barrier and enter our brain.
See BeyondPlastics.org/plastics-and-health for a compilation of studies that identify microplastics in the human body.
About Beyond Plastics
Launched in 2019, Beyond Plastics pairs the wisdom and experience of environmental policy experts with the energy and creativity of grassroots advocates to build a vibrant and effective movement to end plastic pollution. Using deep policy and advocacy expertise, Beyond Plastics is building a well-informed, effective movement seeking to achieve the institutional, economic, and societal changes needed to save our planet and ourselves, from the negative health, climate, and environmental impacts for the production, usage, and disposal of plastics.
###