# Microplastics in tap water: what EPA's draft CCL 6 means, which certification tests for them, and which filters carry it > EPA's draft CCL 6 (April 2026) lists microplastics with no limit. NSF/ANSI 401 is the only test: 85% reduction of 0.5 to 1 micron particles. | | | |---|---| | Source | https://ownerspec.com/water/guides/microplastics-in-tap-water-what-filter/ | | Publisher | OwnerSpec (https://ownerspec.com/) | | Published | 2026-09-14 | | Updated | 2026-09-14 | | Facts verified | 2026-09-14 | | Disclosure | Contains affiliate links. OwnerSpec may earn a commission at no cost to the reader. | --- ## Short answer Microplastics in tap water have no federal limit. EPA's draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List, published April 6, 2026, names microplastics as one of 4 chemical groups alongside 75 chemicals and 9 microbes, and EPA states that contaminants on a CCL are candidates for possible future rulemaking, not regulated substances. The only certification with a defined microplastics test is NSF/ANSI 401: the claim requires at least 85 percent reduction of particles 0.5 to 1 micron, run on the same influent as the NSF/ANSI 42 Class I particulate test. The claim attaches to whichever device carries 401, pitcher, faucet mount or reverse osmosis; NSF's listing search for NSF/ANSI 58 with a microplastics reduction claim returns no products. Brita's performance data sheet lists the Brita Elite (OB06) at 99.6 percent microplastics reduction, WQA certified to 401, with a 120 gallon filter life. Read the 401 microplastics line on the maker's data sheet first, not the word on the box. ## Fact sheet - **Answer:** Microplastics have no federal drinking water limit: EPA's draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (April 2026) names them as 1 of 4 chemical groups that are candidates for possible future rulemaking. The only certification with a microplastics test is NSF/ANSI 401, which requires at least 85 percent reduction of particles 0.5 to 1 micron. The claim belongs to the device that carries 401, not to NSF/ANSI 58. - **Basis:** EPA draft CCL 6 (no numeric limit, not a regulation) and the NSF/ANSI 401 microplastics reduction claim, 85 percent minimum at 0.5 to 1 micron, as printed on Brita's WQA-certified performance data sheet. - **Assumptions:** The 401 microplastics test uses the same influent and the same 85 percent minimum as the NSF/ANSI 42 Class I particulate test, as the Brita data sheet lists them side by side; Product certifications are as listed on the maker's data sheet or in NSF's listing database on 2026-09-14; no product was tested; A CCL listing is a candidate list; EPA states that listed contaminants are not currently regulated - **Method:** CCL 6 figures from EPA's draft CCL 6 page and news release, the 401 test figures from Brita's performance data sheet, the 58 and 401 listings from NSF's DWTU search, all read on 2026-09-14; nothing was bench-tested. - **Primary source:** [EPA, Draft Contaminant Candidate List 6 (CCL 6)](https://www.epa.gov/ccl/draft-contaminant-candidate-list-6-ccl-6) (government or regulatory source) - **Facts verified:** 2026-09-14 - **Last updated:** 2026-09-14 - **Canonical URL (cite this):** https://ownerspec.com/water/guides/microplastics-in-tap-water-what-filter/ If you came for a number to test your water against, you can leave now: no regulator has set one and no consumer test kit exists, so the only thing this page can hand you is which certification line to read before buying a filter. ## What does the situation tell you? A Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) is EPA's list of unregulated substances it may study for a future rule; it carries no limit and no monitoring requirement. | Situation | What it means | Confirm with | |---|---|---| | Water looks, smells and tastes normal | Nothing: microplastics are not detectable by sight, smell or taste at the tap | No home test exists; a research-lab panel is the only route, and most residential labs do not offer one | | Your Consumer Confidence Report has no microplastics line | Normal. EPA has never required utility monitoring for microplastics, and the draft CCL 6 is a candidate list, not a monitoring rule | EPA's CCL 6 page: listed contaminants carry no national primary drinking water regulation | | The filter box says "microplastics" with no standard number | Marketing, not certification. NSF/ANSI 401 is the only standard with a defined microplastics test as of September 2026 | The product's NSF or WQA listing, or its performance data sheet, not box copy | ## What does the number mean? There is no number. EPA's draft CCL 6 page says the list includes 75 chemicals, 4 chemical groups (microplastics, pharmaceuticals, PFAS and disinfection byproducts) and 9 microbes, and that contaminants on it are not currently regulated. EPA's news release, issued April 2, 2026, calls this the first time microplastics have appeared on a CCL. The comment period closed June 5, 2026 per the CCL 6 page, and EPA's news release names November 17, 2026 as the target signing date for the final list after Science Advisory Board review. The Federal Register notice itself could not be read for this page, so those two dates rest on EPA's release. The [EPA limits table](/water/guides/epa-drinking-water-limits-table/) covers the contaminants that do have a limit. The number that does exist is a test threshold. Brita's NSF/ANSI 401 performance data sheet prints the microplastics row as particles 0.5 to 1 micron, influent above 10,000 particles per mL, and an NSF minimum reduction of 85 percent. Directly above it, the NSF/ANSI 42 Class I particulate row carries the same influent and the same 85 percent minimum, so the 401 microplastics claim is the particulate test under a new name. A micron is one millionth of a metre; 0.5 to 1 micron is the fine end of the particulate classes, which the [NSF/ANSI standards guide](/water/guides/nsf-ansi-water-filter-standards-explained/) lays out. The [PFAS guide](/water/guides/pfas-in-tap-water-what-filter/) already explains that 401 is a separate, additive certification, so that is not repeated here. ## Which treatment class fits? | Reading | Treatment class | Why | |---|---|---| | You want the only defined, tested claim | A pitcher, faucet-mount or under-sink filter whose listing carries the NSF/ANSI 401 microplastics reduction claim (85 percent minimum, 0.5 to 1 micron) | Only 401 has a published microplastics protocol | | You already own, or are shopping for, reverse osmosis | Check that model's own NSF/ANSI 401 listing, not its 58 listing | NSF's search for 58 with a microplastics claim returns zero products | | A carbon-only pitcher or fridge filter with no 401 claim | Untested for microplastics; a published NSF/ANSI 42 Class I particulate rating is the closest proxy, not the same claim | No 401 or Class I line on the maker's data sheet means no test was run | The two pitcher filters below are the ones this page could tie to a primary listing. Every figure is the maker's published spec or the NSF database entry, read on 2026-09-14; nothing was tested. | Filter | Device type | 401 microplastics claim | Published reduction | Filter life | |---|---|---|---|---| | Brita Elite (OB06) | Pitcher | Yes, WQA certified per Brita's data sheet | 99.6 percent at 0.5 to 1 micron, against the 85 percent minimum | 120 gallons, about 6 months per Brita | | PUR PLUS (PPF951K) | Pitcher | Kaz USA (PUR) pour-through models CR-1100C and DS-1800 series appear on NSF's 401 microplastics listing, and PUR's listing names both as fits | PUR publishes no percent figure or micron range on the listing | Not published on the listing | The Brita Elite figure is Brita's own test result, WQA certified, and the data sheet footnotes most 401 rows to a named subset of pitcher systems; the microplastics row carries no footnote on the January 2026 sheet, but check the live sheet against your pitcher, and the [Brita compatibility page](/water/parts/brita-pitcher-filter-compatibility-standard-elite-stream/) covers which pitchers take the OB06. The PUR PLUS claim rests on NSF's database rows for the pitcher models, not on a data sheet with a percentage. Match the retail SKU to those model codes before repeating any figure; this page repeats none. ## Does reverse osmosis remove microplastics? Not as a certified claim on the strength of NSF/ANSI 58. Standard 58 certifies an RO system's performance on dissolved contaminants, and NSF's listing search for Standard 58 with a microplastics reduction claim returned "No Matching Products Found" on 2026-09-14. An RO unit earns the microplastics claim only by separately carrying NSF/ANSI 401 with that line. The Waterdrop 10UA under-sink system, for example, lists only NSF/ANSI 42 on its Amazon page and no 401 microplastics claim, so it is not an example of a certified unit; AquaTru's marketing states a 401 microplastics certification, which this page could not confirm in NSF's listing. The [RO contaminant table](/water/guides/does-reverse-osmosis-remove-contaminant-table/) covers what 58 does test for. For microplastics, the question is the same for every device type: is there a 401 microplastics row for this exact model? **Before you buy anything** Do not buy a filter "for microplastics" on box copy or on an NSF/ANSI 58 badge. Open the maker's performance data sheet or NSF's listing for the exact model and look for the NSF/ANSI 401 microplastics reduction row: at least 85 percent of particles 0.5 to 1 micron. The Brita Elite (OB06) is the one filter here with that row printed and a percentage beside it, 99.6 percent per Brita, and it is a pitcher rated for 120 gallons, not a whole-house answer. If you want lead or PFAS reduction in the same pitcher, the [pitcher comparison](/water/reviews/best-water-filter-pitcher-nsf-53-lead-pfas/) compares the same filters against NSF/ANSI 53 and 401 side by side. ## What should you do first? 1. Stop looking for a microplastics number on your Consumer Confidence Report or a home test kit: neither exists, and the [test report guide](/water/guides/how-to-read-a-water-test-report/) covers what a report does carry. 2. Decide the device type you want, pitcher, faucet mount, under-sink or RO, on the contaminants that do have limits. 3. Open the maker's performance data sheet or NSF's 401 microplastics listing for that exact model and find the row. 4. Ignore any "microplastics" wording that has no NSF/ANSI 401 line beside it. 5. Replace the cartridge on the maker's published interval, 120 gallons or about 6 months for the Brita Elite, because a particulate claim was tested on a fresh filter. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does EPA regulate microplastics in tap water? Not yet. EPA's draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List, published April 6, 2026, lists microplastics as one of four chemical groups alongside 75 chemicals and 9 microbes. EPA states that contaminants on a CCL are not currently regulated and are candidates for possible future rulemaking. The comment period closed June 5, 2026, and EPA's news release names November 17, 2026 as the target signing date for the final list. ### What is the only certification that tests a filter for microplastics? NSF/ANSI 401 carries a microplastics reduction claim. Brita's performance data sheet prints the test conditions: particles 0.5 to 1 micron, influent above 10,000 particles per mL, and an NSF minimum of 85 percent reduction. The same data sheet lists the NSF/ANSI 42 Class I particulate claim directly above it with an identical influent and minimum, so the microplastics claim reuses the particulate test. ### Does reverse osmosis remove microplastics? Only if the specific model's own listing carries an NSF/ANSI 401 microplastics reduction claim. NSF/ANSI 58 certifies reverse osmosis performance on dissolved contaminants, and NSF's listing search for Standard 58 with a microplastics reduction claim returned no products on 2026-09-14. A 58 certification alone is therefore not evidence that an RO unit was tested for microplastics; look for a separate 401 line. ### Is the Brita Elite filter certified for microplastics? Yes. Brita's performance data sheet states that the Brita Elite filter, model OB06, is certified by WQA against NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401, and the 401 table lists microplastics at 99.6 percent reduction for particles 0.5 to 1 micron against an 85 percent minimum. Brita rates the filter at 120 gallons, about 6 months for an average family. The figures are Brita's published test results, not OwnerSpec's. ### Can I test my own tap water for microplastics? No consumer test kit was found for this page, and the number will not be on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report either: EPA has never required utilities to monitor microplastics, and the draft CCL 6 is a candidate list rather than a monitoring rule. A research laboratory panel is the only route, and most residential water labs do not offer one, so the practical check is the filter's 401 listing. ## Sources - [EPA, Draft Contaminant Candidate List 6 (CCL 6)](https://www.epa.gov/ccl/draft-contaminant-candidate-list-6-ccl-6) (government or regulatory source) - [EPA, news release: EPA Takes Bold Action to Ensure Drinking Water Is Safe From Microplastics, Pharmaceuticals, and Potential Hidden Contaminants](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-takes-bold-action-ensure-drinking-water-safe-microplastics-pharmaceuticals-and) (government or regulatory source) - [NSF, DWTU Listings search, NSF/ANSI 401, Microplastics Reduction](https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?ProductFunction=401%7CMicroplastics+Reduction) (standards or certification body) - [NSF, DWTU Listings search, NSF/ANSI 58, Microplastics Reduction (no matching products)](https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?ProductFunction=58%7CMicroplastics+Reduction) (standards or certification body) - [Brita, Performance Data Sheet for Brita System with Brita Elite Filter (Model OB06), January 2026](https://assets.ctfassets.net/bugnyha6so6z/5JK8pJvAg8UaTe0U6jsWnd/8b1d4448916af1778de2d6cd92533368/Elite_PT_Performance_Data_Sheet_Jan2026.pdf) (manufacturer or vendor document) --- Citation: OwnerSpec, "Microplastics in tap water: what EPA's draft CCL 6 means, which certification tests for them, and which filters carry it", https://ownerspec.com/water/guides/microplastics-in-tap-water-what-filter/, facts verified 14 September 2026. 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