New STOMP program
Very excited to see our government recognize the threat that plastic poses to human health and to provide funding to learn more about it and prevent it. The first aim, to develop more accurate ways to test for microplastics, is critical as without this there is no path forward. Below is a summary of this new program and a link to learn more about it.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today announced STOMP: Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics, a nationwide $144 million program to create the definitive toolbox for measuring, researching, and affordably removing microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) in the human body.
“Today, HHS is taking decisive action to confront microplastics as a growing threat to human health,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Americans deserve clear answers about how microplastics in their bodies affect their health. Through ARPA-H’s STOMP program, we will measure microplastic exposure, identify sources of risk, and develop targeted solutions to reduce it.”