How Much BPA Have You Handled Today?

The debatable chemical bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, has been discovered in 40 per cent of receipts gathered by the U.S. organization Environmental Working Group. In many cases, the total amount of BPA on the receipt was 1,000 times the amount detected in the epoxy lining of a can of food, another controversial use of the chemical.

Bishenol A, a plastic hardener associated to breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems, reacts with dye to form black print during receipts handled by countless of people every day.

The Receipts were collected from ATM’s, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations and the like. “Wipe tests” showed that the coating of BPA of paper receipts would likely stick to the skin of anyone who handled them.

In an attempt to measure how much BPA would carry-over to a individuals hand, the lab did wipe tests on four BPA-laden receipts. In all four cases, BPA transmitted from the receipts to the wipes. An average of 2.4 percent of the receipts’ total BPA content wiped off, suggesting the chemical would probably stick to the skin of anyone who handled them. Yet, researchers have not determined how much of a receipt’s BPA coating can transfer to the skin and from there into the body.