Microplastics

• Environmental Protection Agency 已將微塑膠與抗憂鬱劑列為飲用水污染物，以回應 MAHA 運動的倡議以及對公眾健康的擔憂。 • 此分類標誌著在處理美國供水中新興污染物方面邁出了重要的監管步伐，這些污染物已引起健康專家與環保倡導者的關注。 • 該認定可能會促使未來的監管行動，以便為這些物質建立飲用水標準和處理要求。

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.

Microplastics have been found accumulating everywhere from our water to our body tissues, but many of the claims have come under fresh scrutiny. Chelsea Whyte cuts through the research to tell you whether you really need to worry