Health Groups Urge Governor Ferguson to Address Microplastics Health Crisis

July 22, 2025 - Seattle, WA

Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR) joined over 50 Washington environmental, climate, and public health groups in calling on Governor Ferguson to petition the federal government to monitor microplastics in our drinking water. The coalition, led by Food & Water Watch, is urging the Governor to leverage a provision in the Safe Drinking Water Act that requires EPA action when seven governors petition for monitoring of a specific contaminant.

Growing Health Evidence Demands Action

Emerging research reveals that microplastics pose serious threats to human health. These tiny plastic particles - smaller than 5 millimeters - have been detected throughout the human body, including in vital organs.

"Microplastics are contributing to an increased burden of disease in our state and across the country," said Adam Lough, MHA, of WPSR’s Climate and Health Task Force. "That increase in disease burden drives up the cost of healthcare for all players in the industry. Tracking microplastic contamination in our water is a necessary first step in limiting exposure. Governor Ferguson can help us lead the nation in doing so with this effort."

Recent scientific studies have linked microplastics exposure to multiple health concerns:

• Cardiovascular damage: Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found microplastics in arterial plaques and linked their presence to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes

• Organ infiltration: Studies have detected microplastics in the kidney, liver, brain, and placental tissue

• Systemic inflammation: Laboratory studies show microplastics can trigger oxidative stress and inflammatory responses throughout the body

• Endocrine disruption: The chemical additives in microplastics may interfere with hormone function

Climate and Health Connection

The microplastics crisis is intrinsically linked to climate change. Approximately 98% of single-use plastic is made from petrochemicals derived from oil and gas, making plastic production a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions. As plastic waste accumulates in the environment, it breaks down into microplastics that contaminate water, air, and food systems.

"This is both a public health emergency and a climate crisis," Lough noted. "By addressing microplastics, we're tackling two of the most pressing challenges facing our generation."

Washington Waters Already Contaminated

Local research confirms widespread microplastic contamination in Washington's waterways:

• Puget Soundkeeper found microplastics in all 69 water samples collected across Puget Sound between 2019-2020, with an average of 13 particles per sample

• University of Washington research documented plastic microfibers as common on Puget Sound beaches

• Seattle Aquarium studies revealed microplastics pollution along Seattle's waterfront

What is WPSR doing to address microplastics?

We're seeing the early warning signs of a public health crisis. Microplastics represent a new class of environmental health threat that requires immediate attention. We cannot wait for the health consequences to fully manifest before taking action.

We’re working with our partners at Food and Water Watch on letters like this, to ensure that Washington leads the way on calling for federal action in monitoring microplastics in our drinking water. Currently, microplastics remain unregulated and unmonitored at the federal level, despite their ubiquitous presence in drinking water systems nationwide. California recently became the first state to require microplastics testing, but comprehensive federal oversight is essential to protect public health.

The petition leverages a rarely-used provision in the Safe Drinking Water Act: when seven governors petition the EPA to monitor a specific contaminant, the agency must add it to the national monitoring list. This would be the first step toward eventual federal regulation of microplastics in drinking water.

WPSR is also conducting its own learning and work. Interested in helping us tackle the health and climate impacts of microplastics? Sign-up for WPSR’s climate updates and consider joining our microplastics and waste working group, which meets monthly to discuss these issues.

For more information about WPSR's work on environmental health issues, visit wpsr.org/climate.

Why heatwaves are a mental health emergency we must address

Larry Freeman, MD, McKenna Parnes PhD, and Robert Berley, PhD,  are mental health professionals who have been concerned about the emotional and psychological toll of climate change, and members of the Climate and Health Task Force at Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility.

With summer upon us, heat and smoke are once again looming threats. Among these threats is a quieter, equally as serious crisis: the mental and emotional impacts of our changing climate.

Climate change is driving a wave of emotional distress, especially among young people. A 2023 global survey found that over 85% of people around the world report some form of anxiety about climate change and their futures. The severity of distress increases as respondents indicate that they do not feel governments have addressed this problem effectively. Roughly two thirds of young adults report climate distress, but less than half of that group believes others share their fears - worsening feelings of helpless concern and isolation. A majority of adults over 30 worry about the emotional effects the younger generations will face. Chronic worry and feelings of isolation and powerlessness have not only psychological harms: physical health and interpersonal relationships suffer as well.

Even here in the Pacific Northwest where many don’t consider it to be “too hot”, excessive heat has specific mental health effects: irritability, anger and conflict; domestic violence and resultant PTSD incidents; apprehension and feeling trapped; sleep loss which undermines physical and psychological well-being. The groups most at risk, i.e., young people, outdoor workers, the elderly, and people without air conditioning deserve particular concern.

We see elderly patients who become housebound during heatwaves, developing depression from isolation. We hear stories of workers, of whom mom or dad is one, at risk in the hot weather. Children share their concerns about the future, seeing an orange sky and worrying that the apocalypse is happening. Outdoor workers wrestle with the decisions between safety and a paycheck.

A 2022 study in Environment International shows for every 1 degree celsius increase in temperature, emergency psychiatric visits increase and heat-related mental health deaths increase by 2.2%. Domestic violence incidents spike during these times.

For those already struggling with climate anxiety, extreme heat becomes confirmation that their fears are materializing. The combination creates a dangerous spiral: heat worsens mental health, while climate anxiety makes each heat event more traumatic. People taking psychiatric medicines frequently have even greater susceptibility to heat related physical health complications.

The “heat dome” we experienced in 2021 will happen again. How will we react? Or most importantly, how will we prepare? We cannot let another summer pass without acknowledging this emergency. The mental health impacts of climate emergencies need more attention.

We must treat this like the public health crisis it is. Mental health considerations must be built into every layer of our emergency response.

Ensuring mental health considerations in emergency preparedness is no longer a “nice to have”,  but a necessity. We call upon physicians, hospitals, counselors, schools, governments, religious leaders, and businesses to accept their responsibility and lead us through this crisis. When communities prepare for heat emergencies together, they build physical safety and psychological resilience.

We’re obliged to consider things we might not have considered. For example, cooling schools isn’t just about keeping a school cool, but reducing the emotional burden on children, teachers, and caregivers. Employers must adjust the expectations of workers during heatwaves. 

Governments have a significant role to play. Expanding urban tree canopy keeps those in public spaces cool, and increasing access to greenspace has significant benefits for children’s mental health. Developing heat mitigations plans will equip hospitals and emergency department with the funding and processes they need to save lives during heat crises. Buildings - both new and old - must equip the cooling infrastructure they need to protect those most vulnerable.

Being upset about the climate means one has the courage to pay attention and care appropriately. Having these concerns isn’t so-called “climate hypochondriasis”. We are facing a real crisis that needs action. The good news is that action itself heals. Community efforts to address climate change provide us the sense of agency and connection that counters climate anxiety.

Health Professionals Urge Washington’s Congressional Delegation to Support Climate and Health

WPSR is calling on Washington’s Senators and Representatives to cosponsor federal legislation recognizing climate change as public health

SEATTLE, WA — This week, members of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR) signed onto this letter, requesting the state's entire congressional delegation to cosponsor, S.318, a bipartisan resolution recognizing climate change as a growing threat to public health and demanding coordinated federal action to protect communities.

The resolution, introduced by Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA), currently has no cosponsors from Washington state despite the state's leadership on climate issues and growing health impacts from extreme weather events.

"As health professionals on the front lines, we witness daily the mounting health impacts of climate change in Washington communities," said Dr. Chris Covert Bowlds, WPSR Climate and Health Task Force Co-Chair. "From record-breaking heat domes causing cardiovascular emergencies to wildfire smoke triggering life threatening lung clots and asthma attacks, climate change is already a health crisis in our state."

Washington has experienced increasingly severe climate-related health threats in recent years, including deadly heat events, prolonged wildfire smoke episodes that disrupt healthcare access, and expanding vector-borne diseases as temperatures rise. The health impacts fall disproportionately on children, pregnant women, communities of color, low-income neighborhoods, tribal nations, outdoor workers, and people with disabilities and chronic conditions.

In a letter sent to all 12 members of Washington's congressional delegation, WPSR emphasized that the resolution calls for exactly the type of coordinated federal response a health crisis demands. The legislation urges the Department of Health and Human Services to lead a whole-of-government effort to strengthen health system climate resilience, close gaps in data collection, recognize the health sector's own environmental impact, and support frontline healthcare providers.

"Prevention is always preferable to treatment," the letter states. "While we will continue caring for patients suffering climate-related health impacts, we have a professional obligation to advocate for policies that prevent these harms in the first place."

The call for action comes as federal climate health programs face significant cuts, including the elimination of the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Climate Change and Health Equity. The resolution has garnered endorsements from major medical organizations including the American College of Physicians and the American Public Health Association.

WPSR noted that climate disasters cause billions in damages nationwide but also translate directly into emergency room visits, respiratory distress, heat-related illnesses, and mental health crises in hospitals and clinics across Washington state.

"Your leadership is essential. This resolution would improve our ability to save the lives of patients we treat daily."

The organization offered to brief congressional offices on the specific climate health challenges facing Washington communities and how federal action can help protect patients and communities statewide.

About Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility: Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR) is a 40-year-old, health professional-led advocacy organization working to create a healthy, just, peaceful and sustainable world. We take on the gravest current threats to human health and survival - nuclear weapons, economic inequity, and a climate crisis driven by dependence on fossil fuels. WPSR leverages the credible and trusted voice of healthcare professionals to educate the public, influence decision-makers, and promote public policies that support our mission.