Study: Abortion Drug Mifepristone Found in US Drinking Water

A new study has found detectable levels of an abortion drug in tapwater in three US cities.

The study, published in Issues in Law and Medicine, looked at levels of mifepristone in water collected from various sources in Austin, Texas; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Carbondale, Illinois.

Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid that is used to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks, in the form of a pill. It is one of the most common methods for medical abortion in the US. It works in combination with another drug to cause the uterine lining to be shed, taking the implanted fetus with it.

In the new study, samples were collected up- and downstream of treatment facilities and also from municipal water sources.

Analysis revealed “significant levels of mifepristone” in the water of all but one of the nine sampling classes.

The researchers note that, although the effects of mifepristone in drinking water are unknown, it could accumulate in the bodies of wildlife and humans with various effects, including fertility issues. Studies have suggested long-term low-dose use has links to reproductive abnormalities and cancer, and there may also be links to autism.

The study shows that “Conventional water treatment was not effective for removing this EDC [endocrine-disrupting chemical] from water in all cities we tested. Two cities showed significant mean concentrations even in tap water. Conventional treatment systems are primarily designed to remove infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses, with secondary treatment, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, required to address hormones.”

The authors call for further treatment to understand the effects of the drug on wildlife and on human health, and to find ways to remove the drug from municipal water.