EPA proposes listing microplastics and antidepressants as water contaminants

Published April 2, 2026 2:00pm ET | Updated April 16, 2026 11:14am ET



Trump administration officials outlined a plan Thursday to list microplastics and certain pharmaceuticals as contaminants in drinking water, a step toward new regulations that fulfill a goal of the Make America Healthy Again movement.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced a proposal to add microplastics and pharmaceuticals, such as antidepressants, as priority contaminants in the EPA’s drinking waters draft of the Sixth Contaminant Candidate List.

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