Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA, HHS Move Microplastics from Fringe Concern to Federal Priority,” Chemical Processing, July 15, 2026.

Concerns about microplastics and their effect on human and environmental health continue to expand. On April 6, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) elevated the issue in a way that makes it harder for the regulated community to address microplastics as a matter of academic or speculative concern. EPA proposed to add microplastics, for the first time, as a priority contaminant group on the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) 6 – Draft (draft CCL 6) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), while HHS launched the Systematic Targeting of Microplastics (STOMP), a $144 million program focused on measuring, studying and developing methods to remove microplastics and nanoplastics from the human body. This article discusses the significance of these developments.