LANSING, Mich. (March 11, 2026) — Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture passed Senate Bills 503–505. Sponsored by Sens. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), and Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp), this legislation would create solutions to assess and prevent further microplastic pollution in Michigan watersheds.
“Microplastics are increasingly found throughout our ecosystem and even in our bodies,” said Sen. Irwin. “It would be challenging to eliminate all sources of microplastic contamination, but one of the most straightforward steps we can take is to stop manufacturing them and intentionally adding them to products like blasting abrasives. I’m glad Senate Bill 503 is moving forward so we can protect ourselves and our Great Lakes by cutting off microbead pollution at its source.”
The Senate package would:
-
Senate Bill 503 (Irwin): Ban the sale or manufacture of products containing plastic microbeads.
-
Senate Bill 504 (Polehanki): Create a program at the Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to test public drinking water supplies for microplastics, make a risk assessment, and recommend actions for future monitoring and mitigation.
-
Senate Bill 505 (Shink): Create a statewide microplastics research and monitoring plan to assess the scale of microplastic contamination and the risks it poses, and make recommendations for policy changes as part of a comprehensive strategy for addressing microplastics.
“Access to safe, reliable drinking water is a fundamental human right — but here in Michigan, the concentrations of dangerous microplastics in our water and environment are only continuing to rise,” said Sen. Polehanki. “My bill will ensure that the state can better study where microplastics are appearing, how they move through our drinking water, and what risks they may pose. I’m proud to champion this meaningful legislation that will better protect our communities from the detrimental public health and environmental impacts of microplastics.”
Microplastics are about the size of a grain of rice or smaller and widespread in our environment, where they are found in water, sediment, wildlife, and even the air we breathe. Some are intentionally manufactured to be that size, such as microbeads, and others are the result of larger pieces of plastic breaking apart into smaller pieces, like litter and textiles. This persistent pollutant has been found in drinking water drawn from the Great Lakes, where the concentrations of microplastics in fish are some of the highest in the world.
“We have to take steps to protect our environment and overall public health from the multiple harms of microplastics,” said Sen. Shink, Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee. “As we find out more about microplastics and the science and research surrounding them advances, we have to adjust policy accordingly. I am gratified to see this legislation advance and will continue working on solutions to keep Michigan’s water safe for all of us.”
Once ingested or inhaled by humans, microplastics can accumulate in the body over time, including in critical organs like the brain and reproductive system. While the research on human health effects of microplastics is ongoing, microplastics have been associated with inflammation, cell damage, immune system dysfunction, and neurological issues. Microplastics’ tendency to carry other harmful chemicals into the body adds to the urgency of addressing microplastic pollution and reinforces the need for policies that prevent it.
This legislation now heads to the full Senate floor for consideration.