Researchers recently discovered that those actively avoiding BPA may want to add register receipts to the list of items they’re steering clear of.
The use of BPA in plastic food and beverage containers has become a great concern for many as exposure to certain levels of it has been linked to a variety of health and behavior issues.
Researchers recently discovered that those actively avoiding it may want to add register receipts to the list of items they’re steering clear of.
The specific ones in question are those involving thermal paper, as BPA is what’s used to make the print appear.
The risk they present was discovered through a series of experiments that involved participants handling the register tape for varying amounts of time and in a number of scenarios.
Said one of the study’s authors, “Our research found that large amounts of BPA can be transferred to your hands and then to the food you hold and eat as well as be absorbed through your skin.”
The news is particularly of concern for retail and food service workers who touch a lot of receipts throughout the day while simultaneously using hand sanitizer to ward off germs.
Some lotions and antibacterial sanitizers contain chemicals that make the skin more absorbent, leading to a greater chance that higher amounts of BPA can enter the body.
