Remember BPA was banned for making baby bottles by the Canadian government in 2010 due to its hormone-disrupting? You may think the problem is solved but BPA is still sneaking into people’s bodies and harm people’s health through a thing we are using daily—receipt.
Source: http://k.sina.com.cn/
After almost every payment is made, whether needed or not, the receipt will be printed out. These receipts are usually made of Bisphenol A (BPA)-containing thermal paper, which is an ink-free choice for most of the banks, supermarket, pos machine, etc. You may think that is not a problem since you will only touch it for a few seconds rather than use it for daily drinking.
However, researchers at the University of Missouri have shown that BPA found on the heat-sensitive paper used in shopping receipts can be absorbed through the skin, significantly raising BPA levels in the body.
What is BPA Exactly?
BPA is the initial of Bisphenol A, it is a chemical raw material that can be added to plastics to make them colorless, transparent, durable, lightweight and impact resistant. BPA was widely used in the manufacture of baby bottles, water bottles, sealants for dental fillings, eye lenses and hundreds of other commodities until banned in 2010.
BPA is an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with the body’s endocrine system by mimicking the effects of estrogen. When BPA shows hormone-like effects, the real hormones in the body may not work properly.
And what’s worse is….
BPA Absorption Increased Significantly After Using Hand Sanitizer
One study showed that using hand sanitizer or other skincare products before handling receipts increases the absorption of BPA by up to 185 times, reaching levels that can lead to obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, infertility, and cancer.
The study mimics a common behavior seen in fast-food restaurants: wash your hands with hand sanitizer, hold the receipt for a while, and then eat with that hand.
By testing BPA on hands, they found that after using hand sanitizer, large amounts of BPA were transferred from heat-sensitive paper to hands in just a few seconds. BPA transfers hundreds of times faster than in dry hands.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110509.g002
This is because hand sanitizers and skincare products (such as soaps, sunscreens, lotions) contain “dermal osmotic enhancers” used to enhance the delivery of the active ingredients in the products. This enhanced effect leads to a rapid transfer of BPA through the skin.
BPA passed on to the hands is absorbed through the skin and under the tongue when eating, leading to higher levels of the chemical in the blood and urine.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110509.g002
So, next time, remember to dry your hands before touching the receipt and wash your hands afterward. Or simply tell the waiter that you don’t need the receipt.
—–Yicheng Zhu
