Everyone touches shopping receipts daily, sometimes without a second thought. Yet, these small slips can have an unknown health risk like cancer and hormone damage.

Receipts can contain toxic chemical BPS

Many receipts from stores, restaurants, and ATMs are printed on thermal paper, made with Bisphenol S (BPS), a toxic chemical. BPS is a harmful hormone-disrupting chemical that can mimick estrogen in your body and may interfere with normal body processes including growth, development, and metabolism.

When you handle receipts that have BPS, your skin can absorb the harmful chemical in seconds and experts say this can impact your health more than we realize.

BPS is like BPA – and just as bad

Most people have heard about Bisphenol A (BPA), which companies are removing from products. Manufacturers heavily used BPA in plastics and paper until researchers revealed its health risks. Companies later replaced BPA with BPS in many products. Some recent studies show BPS is dangerous too. Researchers linked BPS exposure to hormone imbalances, cognitive issues, low sperm count, and breast cancer.

Study and Action in the US

A 2021 study, that linked BPA exposure with increases in breast cancer risk, is now taking a critical look at BPS, achemical that Gina said is similar to BPA. BPS is used to coat thermal paper so the ink registers properly.

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) warned about the use of BPS in thermal paper receipts. CEH sent legal notices to around 50 popular retailers, including Burger King, Chanel, and Dollar General. These companies must now provide clear warnings if they use paper with high BPS content.

Store Workers Have Increased Risk

Cashiers and other store workers come in contact with hundreds of receipts every day. The frequency of contact we experience elevate our risk of exposure to these chemicals – even contact with a receipt for a few seconds, can bring us to the maximum allowable limit of contact defined by state guidelines.

Dr. Leonardo Trasande of NYU Langone said, “It’s important to realize cashiers, who use thermal receipts every day, are likely to experience unusually high exposures because everyone else in the world uses [thermal receipts] much less frequently,”.

Advice from the Experts to Protect Yourself

Experts suggest myriad ways to protect yourself from BPS and BPA:

1. Refuse printed receipts unless necessary, opting for a digital receipt whenever available
2. Store employees should wear gloves when handling thermal receipts
3. Avoid alcohol-based hand sanitizers and cleaners that may contact receipts, as this is likely to push BPS back onto your skin
4. Shop at companies that use BPA- and BPS-free thermal paper
5. Advocate for safer alternatives for paper products.

Also Read: Easy Tips To Make Restaurant-Style Crispy Bread Pakora At Home

Share

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•