Microplastics, tiny plastic particles that either come from products intentionally containing them or break off from larger plastic items like clothing, tires, and cookware, are increasingly being found in unexpected places.

And they are everywhere. These particles have been detected in the clouds, on Mount Everest, in the deepest parts of the oceans, and in the Arctic. Microplastics can contain over 20,000 different plastic chemicals and are often attached to harmful human-made compounds linked to serious health risks, including cancer, neurotoxicity, and hormonal and developmental disruptions.

In a move to tackle this growing crisis, more than 170 environmental organizations filed a legal petition last week, urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin monitoring microplastics in drinking water. The petition marks a crucial step in addressing a pollution problem that is fast becoming one of the most urgent public health threats facing the nation.

Despite rising awareness about the widespread contamination of water and its impact on human health, the EPA has yet to take significant action. The petition calls on the agency to start tracking microplastics as an emerging contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act by 2026.

In Pike County, Pennsylvania they’re doing something about it now. 

Rachael Marques is a Watershed Specialist for the Pike County Conservation District and she appeared on Radio Chatskill to discuss their Study of Microplastics in Pike County Waters.