Water
EPA Adds Microplastics to List of Contaminants for New Regulation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added the tiny particles of plastic known as microplastics for the first time to its most recent draft list of contaminants that are candidates for future regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
These have been linked to higher rates of strokes and heart disease, as well as uncontrolled cell growth and inflammation, according to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization.
EPA also included pharmaceuticals as a group for the first time, along with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), disinfection byproducts, 75 individual chemicals and nine microbes that may be present in public drinking water systems.
The agency will seek public comment for 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register.
The nonprofit estimates that adults ingest an average equivalent of between three and twelve grocery bags’ worth of plastic particles each year through water, food and plasticware.
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