The EPA said it is considering adding microplastics, pharmaceuticals and PFAS to its latest list of drinking water contaminants, opening the door to new research and potential regulation. The move comes alongside a $144 million federal initiative aimed at understanding and reducing microplastics in the human body, as officials warn of growing — but still poorly understood — health risks.

For the first time in its history, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to the agency's official list of drinking water contaminants.

The EPA's Contaminant Candidate List identifies contaminants in drinking water that aren't regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The agency is publishing a draft of the sixth and most recent version of the list, which is published every five years.

The draft will be open for public comment for 60 days.

The move to put those contaminants, along with nine microbes and 75 other chemicals, including PFAS, could lead to more federal funding for research into their prevalence in the environment and their health effects, and to new regulatory standards, according to the EPA.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a press conference that the proposal 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 announced the plan in a joint press conference on Thursday with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also announced a new $144 million federal initiative aimed at understanding and reducing the growing presence of microplastics in the human body.

The program — STOMP (Systematic Targeting of Microplastics) — will be led by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). It seeks to develop new tools to measure, study, and ultimately remove microplastics and nanoplastics from the human body, addressing what officials describe as a potentially significant public health concern.

"Americans deserve clear answers about how microplastics in their bodies affect their health," Kennedy said in the announcement. He emphasized that the program will focus on identifying exposure sources and developing targeted solutions to reduce risks.

The EPA called the joint announcement a "major step forward in President Trump's commitment to Make America Healthy Again." The EPA and HHS plans drew praise from MAHA activists, many of whom have been critical of Zeldin, with some even calling for his removal.

Other environmental activists viewed the announcement with skepticism, noting that the Trump administration rolled back drinking water standards for some PFAS chemicals last year.