BPA - Research Suggests that it’s
Harmful to Your Family’s Health
The FDA
banned the harmful chemical BPA (Bisphenol A) from items for children such as
baby bottles and children's sippy cups in July 2012.
In the
past few years, many manufacturers of consumer products have considered this an
important issue and have taken steps to make their products were
"BPA-free".
But
there's another source of BPA that you'd never think could harm you, and it
might be right in the palm of your hand.
It's
the shiny cash register receipt you received from your last purchase.
What is BPA?
Bisphenol
A or BPA is chemical that's been used in both polycarbonate plastics and epoxy
resins since the 1960s.
You'll
find polycarbonate plastics in hard plastic food and beverage storage
containers, water bottles and cups. They're also found in other consumer goods
such as electronics, sports equipment, DVDs, CD's and toys.
Epoxy
resins are in the internal coatings of metal food and drink cans found in items
on your grocery shelves such as in cans of soup or soda cans.
Epoxy
resins are used to coat water supply lines, so it contaminates our drinking
supply.
They're
found in dental fillings and sealants, on dental devices, eyeglass lenses and
medical devices.
Epoxy
resins are also used on thermal paper products, such as your shiny cash
register receipt.
These
items all contain levels of BPA which can be considered significant when the
chemical breaches into our bodies.
Is BPA Bad for You?
According
to researchers, BPA can leach into food or beverages from containers that are
made with BPA or into your body when you handle products made with BPA.
The
Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) chose to ban the use of BPA in products
for young babies because of the harmful effects many research studies showed.
However The American Chemistry Council, representing the plastics
manufacturers, still disputes these studies and contends that BPA poses no risk
at all to human health.
The
Endocrine Society, on the other hand, issued a statement of concern in 2009
over the amount human exposure to BPA we are now seeing. Research from the CDC
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention) found BPA to be present in the
urine of 95% of adults and 93% of children in their studies.
So What Does This Have to Do
with My Cash Receipt?
Approximately
40% of cash register receipts in the United States are printed on glossy
thermal-coated paper. Thermal paper is not only used on cash receipts but today
is commonly used for other purposes such as movie theater tickets, airline
tickets, and other stubs.
You can
recognize this type of receipt or ticket because it's printed on shiny paper.
Shiny or glossy receipts contain measurable levels of the chemical BPA.
BPA
from thermal paper and carbonless paper can easily get onto your hands and
fingers. The problem is not so much from what you'll absorb through your skin,
but from what you'll ingest if your fingers or hands come in contact with your
mouth.
Receipts are Part of Everyday
Life So What Do You Do?
Cash
register receipts and thermal paper tickets are a part of modern living, we’re
not going to get past that. But here are
some expert tips offered by a pediatrician and medical researcher who studies
the effects of BPA.
According
to Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, M.D., assistant professor at the University of
Washington Department of Pediatrics and a researcher at the Seattle Children's
Research Institute, you should take these steps:
1.
Examine your receipt or ticket and recognize when you have the need to act on
protecting your health. Don't just blindly receive the thermal paper and forget
about it.
2. If
you don't have a requirement for a receipt, decline to accept it. Simply don't
take the receipt.
3. If
you need a receipt for your purchase or must handle receipts in your job, be
sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling food, eating, or placing
your hands near your mouth.
4.
Finally, keep shiny receipts away from children's hands. If a shiny receipt is
handled by your child, wash your child's hands thoroughly and immediately.
Wash Hands After Handling Glossy
Receipts
This
chart from the Canadian Lung Association demonstrates how to thoroughly wash
your hands to help control disease. Use the same technique when washing to rid
your hands of BPA.
Receipts in Your Life
First
of all, be aware that you might be touching a toxic paper product. Examine your receipt
or ticket. Is it shiny? You need to notice this fact in order to deal
with the issue properly.
Next, if
the paper is shiny, do you really need a receipt? If no, don't take it. If yes, wash your hands as soon as possible after
touching the receipt. Be sure to keep
your hands away from your mouth.
Finally,
don't let children touch shiny receipts. Wash their hands thoroughly whenever
they come in contact with shiny receipts.
Thought for Today
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened,
ambition inspired,
and
success achieved.
- Helen Keller
