Paper receipts from major retailers in the US are so laden with bisphenol S that holding one for 10 seconds can cause the skin to absorb enough of the highly toxic chemical to violate California’s safety threshold, new research has found.
The findings are being used as evidence in legal action aimed at pressuring retailers to stop using receipt paper treated with bisphenol S, or BPS, which is linked to cancer and reproductive problems.
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) non-profit has sent violation notices to about 50 major retailers alerting them to the exceedance of California’s Proposition 65 limits for BPS.
Among the companies to which notices were sent for the allegedly illegal levels of BPS in their receipts are Burger King, Chanel, Dollar General, AMC Theaters, GameStop, Subway, Foot Locker and Ace Hardware.
“[The findings were] really eye-opening for us,” Mihir Vohra, science lead at the CEH, said. “They really speak to just how high the concentrations of BPS are in these receipts.”
Bisphenol is a class of chemicals used in a wide range of consumer products, such as food packaging, fabrics, toys and cookware. Regulators have largely focused on bisphenol A (BPA), which is banned in Europe for food uses because it is so toxic. Many companies have phased out BPA’s use and food companies often advertise when their packaging is BPA free.
But recent research has found BPS, the alternative largely used in place of BPA, to be just as toxic. It’s linked to hormone disruption, cognitive damage, decreased sperm count, breast cancer and other health issues.
Previous research has found it can be absorbed by the skin, and CEH’s new study shows how high the risk is just for brief exposures while holding a receipt. The findings are particularly concerning for cashiers and people working in retail who may handle many receipts throughout the day.
The CEH also noted that people in restaurants often hold receipts for a long period of time while looking at a bill or waiting for service.
The chemicals are added as a coating to thermal paper to help ink develop. Some alternatives exist, but many are also toxic, and the non-profit is urging companies to use something safe to avoid “playing Whac-a-Mole” with dangerous chemicals, said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, the CEH’s executive director. Some paper is treated with vitamin C, but the receipts aren’t as bright.
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The violation notices give companies 60 days to respond. They will either have to switch to paper that does not include BPS or affix a warning to the products. That could potentially include a sign near a cash register that alerts consumers to the receipts’ toxicity.
If companies don’t respond within 60 days, the CEH can sue in California state court under Proposition 65 and ask a judge to order companies to use an alternative or provide a warning.
People can protect themselves by not taking a receipt or asking for an email receipt.
