Keep away from touching thermal receipts to maintain your well being. Credit score: Sunshine Studio, Shutterstock
Simply 10 seconds of contact with these poisonous receipts might expose you to hormone-disrupting chemical compounds.
A U.S. well being watchdog has launched authorized motion towards 32 main retailers after discovering dangerously excessive ranges of a dangerous chemical of their receipt paper. Based on a press launch by the Centre for Environmental Well being (CEH), simply 10 seconds of touching one receipt might expose you to greater than the protected restrict of Bisphenol S (BPS) – a poisonous chemical linked to hormone disruption, reproductive hurt, and even most cancers.
Main excessive avenue names named in poisonous receipt scandal
The lawsuit targets many acquainted names, together with:
- Burger King
- GAP
- Claire’s
- Ceaselessly 21
- Subway
- The Cheesecake Manufacturing unit
- Workplace Depot
- Staples
- GameStop
- Peet’s Espresso, and extra
The CEH alleges these corporations violated California’s Proposition 65, which requires clear warnings when merchandise include chemical compounds recognized to trigger reproductive hurt or most cancers.
What are BPS and BPA, and why are they harmful?
Bisphenol S (BPS) is a chemical utilized in thermal paper, usually as a substitute for BPA. BPA stands for Bisphenol A – it’s an industrial chemical that has been used to make sure plastics and resins for the reason that Nineteen Fifties and can also be dangerous to human well being. BPA can act like a hormone, disrupting the conventional perform of the endocrine system, which regulates progress, growth, and different important processes. Some research recommend a hyperlink between BPA publicity and elevated danger of sure situations, together with coronary heart issues, diabetes, and even sure cancers.
The European Union (EU) banned the usage of Bisphenol A (BPA) in thermal paper for receipts in January 2020. This ban was put in place to guard the well being of pregnant cashiers and scale back total inhabitants publicity to BPA.
Whereas marketed as a “safer various,” BPS has been proven to imitate oestrogen, intrude with hormone stability, and have an effect on metabolism, youngster growth, and fertility.
“Touching just one receipt with BPS for 10 seconds resulted in publicity above the protected harbour stage,” says Mihir Vohra, Science Lead at CEH.
What’s a thermal receipt, and how will you spot one?
Thermal receipts are printed utilizing heat-sensitive paper. These are the receipts you get from supermarkets, fast-food chains, ATMs, and card machines, primarily within the US, Japan, and Korea, but additionally Europe. You possibly can normally inform a thermal receipt by its shiny or clean texture, black or gray textual content that fades over time, and turning black when scratched.
Not like normal paper receipts, thermal paper accommodates coated chemical compounds that react to warmth throughout printing – BPS is a kind of reactive chemical compounds.
Poisonous thermal receipts pose critical well being dangers for each staff and consumers
Retail workers who deal with a whole bunch of receipts a day are particularly in danger. CEH warns towards utilizing alcohol-based hand sanitisers earlier than dealing with receipts, as this will increase chemical absorption by means of the pores and skin.
“Receipts are made out of thermal paper which shouldn’t be recycled as a result of they include bisphenols… that may contaminate the recycling stream,” says Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, CEH’s Senior Director of Poisonous Exposures.
keep away from poisonous thermal receipts
- Say no to printed receipts when doable
- Select digital receipts if obtainable
- Don’t contact receipts after utilizing hand sanitiser
- Retail workers ought to put on gloves when dealing with them
- Don’t recycle thermal receipts – bin them to forestall contamination
Switzerland’s ban on BPA and BPS in thermal receipts
Switzerland banned each BPA and BPS in thermal papers in December 2020, however current analysis reveals that compliance has been combined. Based on a 2023 research revealed in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, BPA use in receipts dropped sharply from 82.2 per cent to simply 10.8 per cent between 2013 and 2021. Nonetheless, BPS utilization rose from 3.1 per cent to 19.1 per cent over the identical interval – regardless of the ban. Researchers famous that Pergafast® 201 (PF201) has turn into the commonest substitute chemical in Swiss receipts, accounting for 60.3 per cent of thermal papers examined. Encouragingly, PF201 just isn’t recognized to penetrate the pores and skin and hasn’t proven any endocrine-disrupting results to date, although researchers stress that extra knowledge is required.
Europe’s chemical disaster
A ban on BPA and different bisphenols in meals contact supplies throughout the EU took impact in January 2025.
Nonetheless, a current report discovered a file variety of banned chemical compounds in EU items, from clothes and toys to electronics. Regardless of laws, unsafe substances proceed to look on cabinets – usually by way of imports or poor oversight.
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