AG Davenport leads multistate effort urging EPA to expand monitoring of microplastics in drinking water
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport is leading a coalition of attorneys general urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take additional steps to monitor and study microplastics in drinking water, citing growing concerns about potential health impacts, particularly for children.
Davenport and attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia submitted a comment letter supporting the EPA’s decision to add microplastics to its latest Contaminant Candidate List, a federal inventory of substances that may require future regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The coalition also urged the EPA to go further by including microplastics in its upcoming Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 6, which would require public water systems to collect data on the presence and frequency of microplastics in drinking water.
“My priority is protecting the health and safety of New Jersey residents, including from unseen pollutants and hazardous substances,” said Attorney General Davenport. “Microplastics are everywhere—and children are especially exposed to and harmed by them. So we commend EPA for recognizing this health threat, and also urge them to require greater monitoring of microplastics in forthcoming rulemakings.”
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles generally measuring less than 5 millimeters in diameter. Researchers have found them in water, air, soil and food sources, as well as throughout the human body, including in the brain and other organs.
State officials said exposure can occur through drinking water, food consumption and inhalation. Research has linked microplastics to cellular and tissue damage and suggests they may act as carriers for other toxic chemicals.
“Understanding the occurrence of a contaminant of concern is the first step in determining whether further action is needed,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak. “New Jersey has a long history of protecting drinking water and is glad to be joined by other states that share this commitment.”
According to the coalition’s letter, children face heightened risks from microplastic exposure beginning before birth. Studies have found microplastics in placental tissue, amniotic fluid and cord blood, with researchers associating exposure with impaired fetal growth, shortened gestational periods and developmental concerns.
The attorneys general noted that microplastics have been linked to reduced birth weight, respiratory issues, inflammation, reproductive system changes and potential neurological impacts.
The EPA’s Contaminant Candidate List, updated every five years, identifies contaminants known or expected to occur in public water systems that may warrant additional study and possible future regulation.
The coalition argues that adding microplastics to the monitoring rule would provide critical data needed to better understand the scope of contamination nationwide and inform future regulatory decisions.
The effort follows a November 2025 petition by governors from New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan and Connecticut requesting nationwide monitoring of microplastics in drinking water systems.
EPA’s proposed Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 6 is currently under White House review and is expected to be finalized later this year.
Joining New Jersey in the comment letter were the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
