What begins with the abortion pill does not necessarily end when the abortion is over.

Once taken, the abortion drug and biological remnants from the abortion enter a toilet, a sewer system, and eventually a wastewater treatment facility that was never designed to remove every pharmaceutical compound.

The chemical is only part of what enters the system. Liberty Counsel Action estimates that 30 to 40 tons of hazardous medical waste, including human remains, are being flushed into American waterways.

That makes mifepristone different from the other pharmaceuticals already raising concerns in the water supply. It was developed and FDA-approved to end a life in the womb by blocking progesterone, the hormone needed to sustain a pregnancy.

But does that anti-progesterone activity disappear once the drug enters the water system? ...