Microplastics

• L'Environmental Protection Agency a classé les microplastiques et les antidépresseurs comme contaminants de l'eau potable, répondant au plaidoyer du mouvement MAHA et aux préoccupations de santé publique. • Cette classification marque une étape réglementaire importante dans la lutte contre les contaminants émergents dans les approvisionnements en eau des U.S. qui ont suscité des inquiétudes parmi les experts de la santé et les défenseurs de l'environnement. • Cette désignation pourrait entraîner de futures actions réglementaires pour établir des normes d'eau potable et des exigences de traitement pour ces substances.

Proposal, a win for RFK Jr’s Maha movement, is a ‘first step’ toward tackling plastic pollution, advocates sayThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on Thursday to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on a list of contaminants in drinking water for the first time, a step that could lead to new limits on those substances for water utilities.Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, said they are responding to Americans who have worried about plastics and pharmaceuticals in their drinking water. The gesture also aims to hand a win to health secretary Robert FKennedy Jr’s Maha movement, which for months has pressured Zeldin to further crack down on environmental contaminants. Continue reading...

• Rice University's Baker Institute released a commentary by Rachel A. Meidl examining scientific evidence linking microplastics exposure to fertility issues amid sensational headlines. • The review highlights current peer-reviewed studies on human microplastics exposure levels, absorption mechanisms, and potential reproductive health effects in the US population. • Findings underscore gaps in long-term data, urging cautious interpretation of preliminary animal studies while calling for more rigorous human trials to assess real-world risks.