HHS Launches $144 Million STOMP Program as EPA Draft List Flags Microplastics and Pharmaceuticals as Potential Drinking‑Water Contaminants
HHS has launched a $144 million national program called STOMP (Systemic Targeting of MicroPlastics) to study microplastics in humans—prioritizing pregnant people, children and high‑exposure workers—and to develop standardized tools to detect, quantify and remove microplastics from tissues and fluids. The announcement comes as EPA’s draft Contaminant Candidate List 6 for the first time groups microplastics and pharmaceuticals as potential drinking‑water contaminants (expanding the list and opening a 60‑day comment period ahead of a targeted Nov. 17, 2026 signature), even as experts warn that measurement methods, national exposure data and clear links to typical‑exposure health outcomes remain limited.
📌 Key Facts
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a $144 million national program called STOMP (Systemic Targeting of MicroPlastics) to study microplastics in the human body and develop methods to detect, quantify and remove them.
- STOMP will prioritize research on pregnant people, children and workers with high microplastics exposure and will fund standardized tools for measuring microplastics in human tissues and fluids.
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin unveiled the draft Contaminant Candidate List 6 (CCL 6), which for the first time adds both microplastics and pharmaceuticals as contaminant groups; the draft opens a 60‑day public comment period and targets a final signature by November 17, 2026.
- CCL 6 expands the EPA’s candidate list to 75 chemicals, nine microbes and four chemical groups (PFAS, disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals and microplastics), removes cyanotoxins as a chemical group, and the agency has released human‑health benchmarks for 374 pharmaceuticals.
- Public health expert Dr. Celine Gounder said adding microplastics to the CCL is an early step and highlighted persistent gaps: a lack of standardized measurement methods, no national exposure data, and limited evidence linking typical exposures to specific health outcomes.
📊 Relevant Data
American Indian populations in the US are served by drinking water systems with 2-3 times more health-based violations and twice the Safe Drinking Water Act violation rate compared to the national average.
Disparities in drinking water quality across the United States — PLOS Water
Hispanic communities in the US are more likely to have poorer drinking water quality, with over 97 million residents exposed to unregulated contaminants.
Disparities in drinking water quality in the U.S. — Silent Spring Institute
Studies suggest microplastics exposure is linked to increased risks of cancer, heart attacks, and reproductive problems in humans.
Microplastics and our health: What the science says — Stanford Medicine
Microplastics in US waterways originate from sources including industrial discharges (12% of detected microplastics), with up to 112,000 particles per square kilometer in some areas.
Microplastics in our Nation's Waterways — USGS Water Data Labs
Communities with greater percentages of Black or African American populations in the US face 45% higher odds of health risks from industrial surface water pollution.
Racial and ethnic disparities in health risk from industrial surface water pollution in the United States — Journal of Hydrology
Low-income communities in the US are disproportionately exposed to unregulated contaminants like PFAS in drinking water.
Socioeconomic Disparities in Exposures to PFAS and Other Unregulated Contaminants in U.S. Drinking Water — PMC (NCBI)
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a $144 million national program called STOMP (Systemic Targeting of MicroPlastics) to study microplastics in the human body and develop methods to detect, quantify, and remove them.
- STOMP will prioritize research on pregnant people, children, and workers with high microplastics exposure, and will fund standardized tools for measuring microplastics in human tissues and fluids.
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin formally unveiled the draft Contaminant Candidate List 6, which for the first time adds both microplastics and pharmaceuticals as contaminant groups, outlines a 60‑day public comment period, and targets final signature by November 17, 2026.
- CCL 6 expands the list to 75 chemicals, nine microbes, and four chemical groups (PFAS, disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals, microplastics) while removing cyanotoxins as a chemical group, and the EPA has released human‑health benchmarks for 374 pharmaceuticals.
- Dr. Celine Gounder emphasized that adding microplastics to the CCL is only an early step and highlighted gaps: lack of standardized measurement methods, lack of national exposure data, and limited evidence linking typical exposure to specific health outcomes.