Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again campaign seeks to reduce child exposure to toxic metals. As a pediatrician, I fully support that goal. 

But even as Health and Human Services focuses on measures such as removing thimerosal from all flu vaccines and testing infant formula for metal contamination, the Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin is working to weaken emission limits on methyl mercury, as well as arsenic, lead and other heavy metals, from coal power plants.

The EPA’s action will increase mercury and other metals in our air, water and soil. As a result, this administration will increase, not decrease, kids’ exposure to toxic metals. It’s as if one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing. 

Recent events demonstrate this HHS versus EPA heavy metal incoherence. 

On June 26, the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 5-1 to recommend against flu vaccines containing thimerosal. Kennedy has long espoused the neurotoxicity of vaccine preservative thimerosal, which contains mercury derivative ethyl mercury.

The neurotoxic effects of methyl mercury, a different compound, are well-established, with the developing fetus at greatest risk. Ethyl mercury, in contrast, is broken down and excreted much faster than methyl mercury, and much less harmful. Numerous studies have found no association between thimerosal and autism, and autism rates continued to rise after thimerosal was removed from most vaccines in 2001. It is now present in a small percentage of flu vaccines.

Health and Human Services also launched Operation Stork Speed, which includes increased testing of infant formula and other foods children consume for heavy metals. This is important and valuable. 

But removing contaminated formula and baby foods from the marketplace will not prevent them from becoming contaminated. That can only be done by reducing the release of metals into our environment in the first place.

The leading source of methyl mercury pollution in the U.S. coal combustion. From smokestacks, it makes its way into water bodies and fish we eat, thus necessitating limits on fish consumption during pregnancy. 

Coal combustion also releases other heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic and chromium, which end up in soil, rice, apples and, ultimately, baby food and infant formula.

A 2024 rule revised the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, strengthening limits on emission of mercury and other harmful metals from coal-fired power plants. On June 11, the EPA proposed to repeal the 2024 revised standards.  

In its Regulatory Impact Analysis, EPA estimates that repeal of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxic Standards will, in 2028, increase methyl mercury emissions by about 1,000 pounds, and non-mercury harmful metals by approximately 14,000 pounds, relative to keeping the 2024 standards in place.

More metal emissions from power plants ultimately means more metals in formula and baby food. Secretary Kennedy knows this.

This administration claims to care about child toxic exposures on the one hand, but it is working to actually increase toxic pollution on the other. This administration should align around the Health and Human Services promise of protecting children from harmful metals by retaining the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

Samantha Ahdoot is a pediatrician in Alexandria, Va.