The Trump administration is moving to track microplastics in drinking water, but the science needed to measure their risk has not caught up, according to an environmental health expert. That could mean municipal water systems will be asked to monitor contaminants that current tools can’t reliably detect or interpret.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin proposed adding microplastics, pharmaceuticals and other contaminants to the EPA’s sixth Contaminant Candidate List under the Safe Water Drinking Act. They are accepting comments on the proposal through June 5.

“By placing microplastics and pharmaceuticals on the Contaminant Candidate List for the first time ever, EPA is sending a clear message: we will follow the science, we will pursue answers, and we will hold ourselves to the highest standards to protect the health of every American family,” Zeldin said in a statement about testing for microplastics in drinking water.

The American Water Works Association released a statement saying the decision “reflects growing public concern about substances that are ubiquitous in the environment.” The AWWA said it looks forward to collaborating with its members, the research community and the EPA “on the best path forward to assure safe drinking water and protect public health.”

Earthjustice was more critical, calling the announcement “a PR stunt.” In a statement, Earthjustice Director of Drinking Water Advocacy Suzanne Novak said the Trump administration has approved pesticides that contain PFAS and eliminated the Office of Research and Development, undercutting its capacity to research and regulate water contaminants.

Testing for Microplastics in Drinking Water: Costly Analysis, Questionable Data

For municipal water systems, the practical implications are complicated. Rolf Halden, an engineering professor and director of the Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering at Arizona State University, said in an email that pharmaceuticals and microplastics present very different challenges.

Pharmaceuticals are relatively well understood, Halden said. Their chemical properties have been extensively researched, their biological effects are documented and existing analytical methods are robust. But microplastics are a different matter, he said regarding testing for microplastics in drinking water.

Read the full article about testing for microplastics in drinking water by Robyn Griggs Lawrence at Smart Cities Dive.