North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take stronger action on microplastics in drinking water.

Jackson praised the EPA for adding microplastics to its Contaminant Candidate List, which identifies substances that may require future regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, Jackson and 13 other attorneys general say more needs to be done.

The coalition is asking the EPA to include microplastics in its upcoming Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, which would require public water systems to collect data on the presence of the particles. Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments that research suggests could pose risks to human health and are commonly found in drinking water, food, and air.

The attorneys general are also calling for a consistent federal definition of microplastics and the development of national standards for monitoring, detection, and treatment. Studies indicate microplastic levels in water supplies could double by 2040 if current trends continue.