2 days Ago
In Texas, a Republican senator just introduced a bill that would require wastewater treatment facilities to do some extra testing—essentially making guidelines more stringent than those currently federally mandated. While that might sound like an uncharacteristically environmentally forward cause for a Texas Republican, what the senator wants to test for may give you even greater pause: It's the abortion medication mifepristone. On Monday, Senator Bryan Hughes of Texas's first district introduced bill SB1976, which would require testing for a number of "urinary metabolites in the form of gluconates," including hormones like testosterone; ethinyl estradiol (which is common in birth control pills); and mifepristone, aka the abortion pill.
While introducing the bill, Hughes told committee members that there is a particular concern around "endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as those found in birth control," not being removed during treatment that may reenter the water supply. He pointed to "abnormalities in pregnant women and children" as a result of those contaminants and said "a lot of research has been done on this." Subscribe to the Compass newsletter.
Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you daily Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters The interest in chemicals in wastewater makes sense. Experts agree that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are concerning for humans and wildlife for a number of reasons. They may cause certain cancers or metabolic disorders, and last year, research from the Endocrine Society pointed to the possibility that girls may be starting puberty earlier due to EDCs.
And, worse, they're essentially everywhere. They show up in personal care products, plastic, pesticides, industrial waste, and therefore, wastewater. Medications are excreted from humans into wastewater, not to mention from patients flushing leftover pills down the toilet.
Some compounds are exceptionally tough to break down, too. Per the EPA's 2009 Health..
. Sarah Bregel.
