The United States will launch a nationwide program to measure, study, and mitigate the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in the human body.
The initiative, announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has an initial budget of $144 million (€125 million).
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned that these particles represent a “growing threat” to human health. Scientists define microplastics as tiny particles derived from plastic waste that cannot be fully removed by conventional water filtration systems.
According to the World Health Organization, microplastics—measuring less than 5 millimeters—move easily through the environment and have been detected in both the human body and other living organisms.
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“Americans deserve clear answers about how microplastics in their bodies affect their health. Through this program, we will measure exposure, identify sources of risk, and develop targeted solutions to reduce it,” Kennedy said.
The initiative, called Systematic Targeting of Microplastics, will be managed by the Health Advanced Research Projects Agency under HHS.
Separately, Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced that microplastics have now been added to the list of recognized pollutants.
