Source: Fox News
Summary
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have launched a joint effort to measure and remove microplastics and pharmaceuticals from the nation’s water supply and the human body. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin warned of the growing health crisis, citing increased plastic concentrations in human organs and a 50% spike in plastic in the human brain since 2016. The administration is launching the STOMP initiative, a national program to precisely measure microplastics in the body, track biological harm, and safely remove them.
Our Reading
The advice sounds familiar.
Microplastics and pharmaceuticals in the water supply and human body have been a concern for years, with various studies and initiatives aimed at addressing the issue. The new joint effort by HHS and EPA aims to tackle the problem on a larger scale. The STOMP initiative will develop a clinical test for microplastics that takes less than 15 minutes and costs less than $50. The EPA has also released human health benchmarks for nearly 400 pharmaceuticals known to occur in drinking water.
The situation feels like a repeat of past concerns, with new studies and initiatives emerging to address the issue. The economic toll of plastic exposure is staggering, with estimated healthcare costs of $250 billion. The fact that 1.2% of the US gross domestic product is lost due to toxic exposures from plastic is a concerning statistic.
Author: Evan Null
