RFK Jr, EPA chief 'declare war' on microplastics amid growing evidence of health risks

Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin are declaring a war connected microplastics. 

These mini bits of plastic, which are little than 5 mm successful size, tin persist successful our situation for hundreds aliases thousands of years. They whitethorn besides build up successful our bodies, our hearts and our brains, causing untold damage.                           

For nan first time, nan EPA is adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its Contaminant Candidate List for drinking water, which will thief to prioritize backing and pave nan measurement for imaginable early regularisation involving Congress. 

​​RFK JR LAUNCHES $134M+ NATIONAL PROGRAM TO STUDY MICROPLASTICS IN THE HUMAN BODY, DRINKING WATER

HHS is besides launching nan Systematic Targeting of Microplastics — aliases STOMP — to study really microplastics accumulate successful nan body.

Kennedy said pinch Fox News successful an exclusive question and reply accompanying nan EPA/HHS announcement.

"Microplastics, which are little than 5 mm successful size, tin persist successful nan situation for hundreds aliases thousands of years," said Dr. Marc Siegel. "They whitethorn besides build up successful our bodies, our hearts and our brains, causing untold damage.                     (iStock)

"We do not person nan subject that distinguishes betwixt nan impacts of these different types of plastics, and possibly if we place those impacts, nan damaging ones tin beryllium instantly eliminated, because you tin switch them pinch thing else," he said.

"Our occupation — and we are really astatine nan limit of our powerfulness correct now — is to effort to reply those questions earlier we return different action."       

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Kennedy pointed to emerging subject suggesting microplastics’ nonstop impacts connected nationalist health. 

"Some of them whitethorn beryllium benign – others are very, very harmful," he warned. "The subject shows if they origin inflammation, they origin oxidative stress."

"As a body, they are endocrine disruptors, truthful they interfere pinch fertility," he added.             

For nan first time, nan EPA is adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its Contaminant Candidate List for drinking water, which will thief to prioritize backing and pave nan measurement for imaginable early regularisation involving Congress.  (iStock)

As emerging investigation suggests a higher consequence of bosom attack, changeable and neurodegenerative disease erstwhile microplastics are coming astatine nan cellular level, "the clip to enactment is now," according to Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and organization wellness astatine NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

During a sheet accompanying nan announcement, Trasande compared nan rumor to efforts to trim lead exposure successful nan 1970s, erstwhile nan authorities took action arsenic soon arsenic nan threat was identified, moreover earlier each investigation was complete.

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Kennedy, who has a agelong history of fighting chemicals successful nan environment, blames large businesses for causing nan problem and wants them to cleanable it up. "That’s a instruction we are each expected to person learned astatine kindergarten – that you cleanable up aft yourself, you don’t unit nan nationalist to do it."

The aforesaid attack applies to pharmaceuticals that make their measurement into nan environment, he noted.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin holds a microplastic sample during an announcement astatine EPA office successful Washington, D.C., connected April 2, 2026. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)

"Particularly for our children, it's very alarming. They are swimming astir now successful a toxic soup. It's coming from everywhere," Kennedy warned. "It's coming from their food. It's coming from agriculture. It's coming from nan aerial and water, and it's coming from pharmaceutical drugs.

"Lee has directed his agency nether President Trump to do this study truthful we tin commencement regulating nan discharge of these chemicals," he went on. "A batch of them you tin region done c exertion and different technologies."

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Administrator Zeldin said he believes nan conflict against microplastics is simply a bipartisan issue. He is calling for much acquisition and transparency erstwhile it comes to microplastics and nationalist health, cautioning against nan national authorities proposing a one-size-fits-all solution. 

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"You want to beryllium capable to get nan answers, you want to spot nan gold-standard science," he said. "You request extremist transparency. You're looking done nan website, and it's ignoring what you came to that web page to look for. I consciousness for illustration there's a connection spread – and erstwhile there's a connection gap, there's a spot gap."

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin speaks alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during nan microplastics announcement astatine EPA office successful Washington, D.C., connected April 2, 2026. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)

Zeldin and Kennedy person been moving intimately nether President Trump's Make America Healthy Again schedule and opportunity they bask moving together. 

"There's nary American successful this state who can't get heard someway by Secretary Kennedy, and it's conscionable an grant to service alongside him," Zeldin said.

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Kennedy added, "I for illustration everybody successful that Cabinet, but Lee and I activity pinch peculiar closeness, and I've really enjoyed nan relationship."                                           

It is clear they would for illustration this narration to continue, moreover if their roles change. "You ne'er cognize what’s going to happen," Kennedy said.