What Not to Do When You Handle Receipts

BPA enters our bloodstream at significantly higher levels due to the effect of skincare products

Cashiers could see a dangerous rise in BPA levels in their bloodstream if they handle receipts after using skincare products, including hand sanitizer. Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock

The plastics chemical bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, was banned for use in baby bottles in Canada in 2008, in France in 2010, in the European Union in 2011, and in the United States in 2012. Then, in 2015, France forbade the use of BPA in any food or beverage packaging, something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had decided was not warranted.

But, what about the more than 90 studies reporting relationships between total BPA in people’s urine and a wide array of adverse health outcomes? These include a significant increase in the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, obesity, impaired liver function, impaired immune and kidney function, inflammation, and reproductive effects in men and women. There are also links to altered thyroid hormone concentrations, and neurobehavioral deficits such as aggressiveness, hyperactivity, and impaired learning.