Attorney General Jennifer Davenport is urging the federal government to test public drinking water for microplastics, tiny plastic particles found throughout the environment and inside the human body.
Davenport led a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asking it to include microplastics in its next round of nationwide water testing. The letter was signed by 12 other attorneys general, including those from New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
“We are still learning the extent of the health risks posed to all of us by microplastics, and to respond appropriately we need more data,” Davenport said. “Given that kids are particularly at risk from exposure to these tiny plastic fragments, it is especially important that the EPA require greater data collection and monitoring to inform further action to protect public health.”
The letter is the latest New Jersey-led effort to persuade the EPA to study microplastics more closely.
In November 2025, then-Gov. Phil Murphy and six other governors asked the EPA to include microplastics in its upcoming water-monitoring program. In June, Davenport and 14 other attorneys general praised the agency for placing microplastics on a list of pollutants that require further study, while also asking for regular testing.
The EPA released a draft of its next testing program on July 1 but left microplastics out.
The federal program allows the EPA to test for contaminants that are not yet regulated but may threaten public health. The information gathered can help determine whether additional research or regulations are needed.
“New Jersey urges the federal government to do the right thing by requiring national testing to better understand the impact pollution from microplastics is having on the safety of our drinking water,” said Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak.
Microplastics are smaller than five millimeters and can be created when plastic products break down. Researchers have found them in water, air, soil and human organs, including the brain. Studies have raised concerns that the particles could damage cells or carry harmful chemicals into the body.
The states say national testing is necessary to determine how common microplastics are in drinking water and to develop consistent methods for measuring them.
They also argued that the EPA did not conclude that another pollutant posed a greater public health risk when it declined to include microplastics in the draft program.
