BPA in Thermal Paper Receipts

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

I got this link when I checked my emails this morning. It was discovered that receipts from POS machines, where thermal paper is used contain high levels of BPA, even more than the BPA content in some plastics. It was the EWG which researched on this and they are cautious to add that

“people ingest 100 percent of any BPA that contaminates the food and beverages they consume" and that "the amount of BPA that enters the body after a person handles a receipt is unknown but likely a fraction of the total BPA on the paper,"

 

I am actually having mixed emotions about this revelation because the extent of possible damage to the body is unclear. And besides, tape thermal receipts have been in the consumer world for quite some time already and no one I know is suffering from any endocrine disruption related illnesses. All I can do now is follow the recommendations listed in the article – wash hands after contact, avoid alcohol based hand cleaner, and never let Klaire play with receipts anymore – to avoid possible ingestion or skin absorption. After all, prevention is always the key. ;)

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