what can a cashier do to protect themselves from bpa receipts

Update: see study on green chemistry pioneer John Warner's new research on BPA in receipts hither.

The plastic component bisphenol A (BPA) has been in the headlines nonstop as scientists, health experts and consumers printing for a federal ban on food packaging fabricated with this synthetic estrogen, shown to leach readily into babe formula, beverages and canned nutrient. But near Americans are probably unaware that they are regularly exposed to the aforementioned endocrine-disrupting chemical in cash register receipts.

Two-fifths of the newspaper receipts tested by a major laboratory deputed by Ecology Working Group were on oestrus-activated paper that was betwixt 0.8 to nearly three percent pure BPA by weight. Wipe tests conducted with a damp laboratory paper hands picked upwardly a portion of the receipts' BPA coating, indicating that the chemical would likely stick to the skin of anyone who handled them. The receipts came from major retailers, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, fast-food restaurants, post offices and automatic teller machines (ATMs).

Major retailers using BPA-containing receipts in at least some outlets included McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Walmart, Safeway and the U.South. Postal Service. Receipts from some major chains, including Target, Starbucks and Bank of America ATMs, issued receipts that were BPA-free or contained merely trace amounts.

Scientists take not determined how much of a receipt'southward BPA coating tin transfer to the skin and from there into the body. Possibilities existence explored include:

• Oral exposure -- BPA moves from receipts onto fingers and then onto food and into the mouth.
• Dermal exposure -- BPA from receipts is directly captivated through the pare into the body.

A study published July 11 past Swiss scientists found that BPA transfers readily from receipts to skin and can penetrate the skin to such a depth that information technology cannot be washed off (Biedermann 2010). This raises the possibility that the chemical infiltrates the skin's lower layers to enter the bloodstream straight. BPA has as well been shown to penetrate skin in laboratory studies (Kaddar 2008).

EWG collected 36 receipts and commissioned the Academy of Missouri Division of Biological Sciences laboratory to investigate their BPA content. This laboratory is considered i of the world's foremost enquiry facilities in its capability to find environmentally relevant BPA concentrations.

The Missouri scientists found that the total mass of BPA on a receipt is 250 to ane,000 times greater than the amount of BPA typically plant in a can of food or a can of baby formula, or that which leaches from a BPA-based plastic baby bottle into its contents. These data should not be interpreted to suggest that policymakers shift their focus from BPA contagion of food, which is widespread, to receipts. BPA exposure from food sources is ubiquitous and should remain the start priority of U.South. policymakers. However, a meaning portion of the public may also be exposed to BPA by handling receipts. Since many retailers do not use BPA-laden thermal paper, this detail route of exposure is easy to correct.

Biomonitoring surveys past the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found BPA in the bodies of 93 percent of Americans over age 6. EWG analysis of CDC data has establish that people who reported working in retail industries had 30 percent more BPA in their bodies than the average U.S. developed, and 34 percent more than BPA than other workers. (CDC 2004). As of May 2009, 1 in 17 working Americans -- 7 1000000 people -- were employed every bit retail salespersons and cashiers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

EWG'south biomonitoring study of minority newborns, published terminal December, constitute BPA in 9 of x samples, marking the first detections of the chemical in the cord blood of U.Southward. infants. EWG has published a Safe Baby Canteen and Formula Guide to help parents of infants avoid BPA and other harmful substances during this critical window of development.

In animal tests, scientists take produced evidence that BPA can induce abnormal reproductive organisation development, diminished intellectual chapters and behavioral abnormalities and can set the stage for other serious weather, such as reproductive organisation cancer, obesity, diabetes, early on puberty, resistance to chemotherapy, asthma and cardiovascular system disorders. It has caused epigenetic changes, meaning alterations in the mode genes switch off and on and genetic changes that can be passed on to the next generations.

Frequent exposures to relatively big amounts of BPA in receipts are an obvious concern to every shopper, but even more so to the legions of people who staff greenbacks registers and handbag groceries at tens of thousands of retailers across the country. These workers handle BPA-loaded receipts hundreds of times a day, with as yet unknown consequences for their wellness (Biedermann et al 2010). According to the U.South. Department of Labor's Agency of Labor Statistics, as of May 2009, the two largest U.Southward. occupations were "retail salespersons" and "cashiers," with more than 7 million Americans in those jobs.

Retail workers comport an boilerplate of 30 percent more BPA in their bodies than other adults, It is unclear how much BPA-coated receipts contribute to people's total exposure to the ubiquitous plastics chemical. What is sure, notwithstanding, is that since many retail outlets already utilize BPA-gratuitous paper for their receipts, this is 1 source of contamination that could easily be eliminated completely.

Thermal paper is widely used for point-of-sale receipts, prescription labels, airline tickets and lottery tickets. Thermal printers use paper that is coated with a dye and developer (BPA or an alternative chemical). Oestrus from the thermal printing head triggers a reaction betwixt the dye and developer, assuasive the black impress to announced.

In an effort to quantify how much BPA would transfer to a person's mitt, the laboratory performed wipe tests on 4 BPA-laden receipts. In all four cases, BPA transferred from the receipts to the wipes. An average of 2.iv percent of the receipts' total BPA content wiped off, suggesting that a person who handled receipts would exist exposed to some BPA in the thermal paper. In that location have been no published studies of BPA residues inside pockets, purses and wallets, on wet produce in grocery bags or on the hands of people after they crumpled and discarded a receipt.

Since 60 pct of the receipts EWG collected did not have significant levels of BPA, it is apparent that many retailers are using alternatives. The leading U.South. thermal newspaper maker, Wisconsin-based Appleton Papers Inc., no longer incorporates BPA in any of its thermal papers (Raloff 2009). Reacting to concerns about the toxicity of BPA, the Japan Paper Clan began to halt the use of BPA in 1998, completing the phase-out past 2003 (AIST 2007). EWG's assay of iii receipts collected in Japan at KFC, McDonald's and Starbucks establish only trace amounts of BPA. In improver, 11 of 13 U.S.-based retailers whose receipts EWG tested used non-BPA paper in at least one outlet.

The U.South. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated a program to evaluate the safety and availability of alternatives to BPA in thermal newspaper (EPA 2010).

EWG urges retailers to use BPA-free paper and to consider paperless options such as emailed electronic receipts. These measures could profoundly reduce the volume of BPA disseminated past the retail manufacture and relieve paper in the bargain. Retailers should make public the identity of any chemicals used in the alternative they select. Very little information is publicly available on the now-mutual BPA alternatives for thermal receipts.

Tips to reduce exposures to BPA in receipts

• Minimize receipt collection by failing receipts at gas pumps, ATMs and other machines when possible.
• Store receipts separately in an envelope in a wallet or purse.
• Never give a child a receipt to hold or play with.
• After handling a receipt, wash easily before preparing and eating nutrient (a universally recommended practice fifty-fifty for those who have non handled receipts).
• Exercise not employ alcohol-based hand cleaners afterwards handling receipts. A recent study showed that these products can increment the skin'south BPA absorption (Biedermann 2010).
• Take reward of store services that electronic mail or archive paperless purchase records.
• Do not recycle receipts and other thermal newspaper. BPA residues from receipts volition contaminate recycled paper.
• If you are unsure, cheque whether paper is thermally treated by rubbing it with a coin. Thermal paper discolors with the friction; conventional paper does non.

Methodology and Findings. EWG collected 36 receipts from retailers in 7 states and the Commune of Columbia:

• Ten national retail and service chains, including Walmart, Chevron and McDonald's;
• Three government establishments - the U.S. Postal Service and the cafeterias in the U.S. Business firm of Representatives and Senate; and
• 1 local supermarket in Colorado.

We contracted with the analytical laboratory at the University of Missouri-Columbia'southward Division of Biological Sciences to perform the analysis. The laboratory weighed, measured and photographed the receipts, dissolved them in an alcohol, then analyzed them for BPA using a sensitive, standard BPA examination method (Loftier-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with CoulArray detection).

The laboratory detected substantial amounts of BPA on 16 of 36 receipts at an boilerplate amount of ane.9 percentage by weight, and a range of 0.8 to 2.8 percent (Table i).

Tabular array 1. Exam Results - BPA in store receipts

Establishment where receipt was obtained		Location	Total mass of BPA on receipt (milligrams)	Size of receipt (foursquare centimeters)	Mass of BPA relative to mass of receipt	Mass of BPA relative to surface area of receipt (micrograms of BPA per square centimeter)	Pct of BPA that rubbed off of receipt onto wet wipe
U.S. retailers
National Supermarkets	Safeway	Berkeley, CA	20.7	1,006	2.8%	35.9
		Boulder, CO	20.vi	ane,575	ane.viii%	fourteen.ix	3.80%
		Washington, DC	41.0	2,671	2.1%	x.1
	Whole Foods	Superior, CO	10.8	902	1.8%	25.seven	0.71%
		Portland, OR	0.0005	1,911	0.0%	0.00
Gas station	Chevron	Berkeley, CA	0.0084	456	0.002%	0.06	*
		Portland, OR	4.89	382	1.vi%	52.9
		Stafford, VA	2.98	400	0.8%	27.3
Chemist's	CVS	Sacramento, CA	0.0008	one,258	0.0%	0.00
		Clinton, CT	0.0009	882	0.0%	0.00
		Kensington, MD	28.8	ii,294	ane.vii%	9.68
Food	Starbucks	Boulder, CO	0.0000*	739	0.0%	0.00	*
		Ames, IA	0.0206	805	0.003%	0.05
		Wheaton, MD	0.0208	938	0.003%	0.04
		Portland, OR	0.0164	739	0.003%	0.05
	KFC	Boulder, CO	9.36	591	ii.ii%	48.half-dozen	2.88%
		Ames, IA	0.0001*	498	0.0%	0.00
		Wheaton, Md	ten.64	836	1.vii%	27.0
	McDonalds	Superior, CO	0.0002	724	0.0%	0.00	*
		Clinton, CT	13.3	703	2.7%	48.9
		Washington, DC	9.07	739	one.four%	25.0
Superstores	Target	Albany, CA	ND	765	ND	ND
		Superior, CO	0.0001*	617	0.0%	0.00
		Wheaton, Doctor	ND	one,126	ND	ND	*
	Walmart	Ames, IA	0.0001*	2,069	0.0%	0.00	*
		Portland, OR	0.0003	1,325	0.0%	0.00
		Stafford, VA	sixteen.3	1,091	2.1%	25.2
Banks	Bank of America	Berkeley, CA	ND	805	ND	ND
		Clinton, CT	ND	954	ND	ND
		Wheaton, Md	ND	765	ND	ND
Local supermarket	Sunflower Farmers Market	Boulder, CO	0.145	994	0.017%	0.22
Government establishments
U.South. Postal Service		Boulder, CO	23.6	one,600	2.0%	16.iv	ii.21%
		Clinton, CT	22.seven	ane,539	2.0%	17.0
		Washington, DC	sixteen.half-dozen	1,249	1.9%	nineteen.i
U.S. House of Representatives Cafeteria		Washington, DC	v.42	494	1.iii%	32.8
U.S. Senate Cafeteria		Washington, DC	0.00	540	0.0%	0.00
Retailers in Japan
Kentucky Fried Chicken		Sendai, Nippon	0.0014	570	0.0%	0.01
McDonalds		Sendai, Japan	ND	352	ND	ND
Starbucks		Sendai, Japan	ND	826	ND	ND

Source: EWG compilation of BPA exam results from the University of Missouri Division of Biological Sciences Laboratory, for receipts collected by EWG.
* Just trace BPA levels were detected on wipe samples of receipts not coated with BPA.

Safeway supermarket receipts had the highest levels by several measures. Safeway receipts had 3 of the height 6 highest overall BPA levels. A store in the District of Columbia had the greatest total estimated mass of BPA (41 milligrams). A Berkeley, CA Safeway had the highest concentration of BPA relative to the paper mass (2.8 pct of the receipt weight). Safeway was one of two retailers that had detectable BPA in all iii shop locations sampled.

The receipt for a McDonald'southward Happy Meal™ purchased in Clinton, Conn. on April 21, 2010 had an estimated 13 milligrams of BPA. That equals the corporeality of BPA in 126 cans of Chef Boyardee Overstuffed Beef Ravioli in Hearty Lycopersicon esculentum & Meat Sauce, 1 of the products with the highest concentrations of BPA in EWG'due south 2007 tests of canned foods (EWG 2007).

Source: BPA examination results from the University of Missouri Division of Biological Sciences Laboratory, for receipts collected by EWG.

* BPA at trace level or not detected.

EWG too collected receipts from stores and banking concern ATMs in three or 4 cities for each of the ten national retail and service chains sampled. Analysis of the laboratory tests establish that of the x stores and bank ATMs:

• One, Safeway, issued BPA-containing receipts in all cities.
• Six issued a BPA-laden receipt in at least one, just not all, outlets - CVS, Walmart, KFC, Whole Foods, Chevron, and McDonald's - indicating that these retailers use BPA-complimentary receipts at some outlets.
• Three provided receipts that were BPA-free or contained only trace amounts at all locations - Depository financial institution of America, Target and Starbucks.

EWG also nerveless receipts from post offices and government cafeterias. All receipts from the U.Southward. Postal Service contained BPA. A receipt from the U.S. Business firm of Representatives cafeteria contained BPA, while a receipt from the U.S. Senate cafeteria did not.

The laboratory performed four wipe samples on 4 BPA-laden receipts - 0.7-to-three.8 percent of the BPA detected on the receipt easily wiped off onto a lightly moistened, BPA-free laboratory paper, with an average of 2.4 percent wiping off.

EWG too nerveless receipts from three retailers in Japan, at KFC, Starbucks and McDonald's outlets in the city of Sendai. None independent BPA in a higher place trace levels. In our U.S. samples, KFC and McDonald's issued BPA-containing receipts in at to the lowest degree ane location.

Sources of Americans' exposures to BPA. BPA exposure is ubiquitous in the U.S. population. The CDC's National Biomonitoring Program establish the chemic in the urine of 93 percent of Americans age half dozen and older (Calafat 2008).

Researchers have considered BPA contamination of canned foods and beverages to be the chief sources of exposure in nigh populations, specially for infants and children.

In 2007, Environmental Working Grouping published a footing-breaking written report  documenting that BPA had leached from epoxy can linings into more half the canned foods, beverages and canned liquid infant formula randomly purchased at supermarkets around the country.  In the absence of any U.S. regulation on BPA contamination of food, EWG has published an online guide to baby-safety bottles and formula.

Notwithstanding, a contempo study suggests that other sources may also be important (Stahlhut 2009). These researchers measured urinary levels of BPA in 1,469 adults after variable periods of fasting. They expected BPA levels in urine to fall rapidly in the absence of new food exposures, since the chemical is excreted very chop-chop from the body. Instead, BPA levels dropped only slowly, leading them to conjecture that BPA from sources other than food may be pregnant, or, alternatively, that BPA may exist stored in human fat and released slowly and constantly into the trunk.

EWG assessed CDC biomonitoring information from Americans tested between 2003 and 2004 to learn if retail workers acquit college amounts of BPA in their bodies than other adults. CDC provided employment information for 916 of one,862 adults tested. EWG analysis establish that the 195 people who reported working in retail industries had 28 percent more BPA in their bodies than the average U.S. developed, and 34 per centum more BPA than other workers. EWG also found that iv of the v occupations with the highest BPA measurements may come in contact with receipts, including those in retail department stores, communications, retail food stores, and eating and drinking establishments (Table two).

Table 2. CDC biomonitoring studies indicate that retail workers are exposed to more than BPA than other adults

Population tested	Number of people tested	Geometric mean concentration of BPA (ug/50)
Male person (age 18 and higher up)	801	2.7
Female person (age eighteen and above)	864	ii.3
All adults (historic period eighteen and above)	1,665	two.5
All workers	916	two.5
Non-retail workers	721	2.iv
Retail workers*	195	3.2

Source. EWG assay of CDC biomonitoring data from samples collected from 2003-2004 (CDC 2004).
* Retail workers include people designated in CDC employment groups 23-28 (CDC 2004).

EWG recommends that retailers switch to not-BPA receipt technologies immediately to help reduce their employees' BPA exposures.

APPENDIX - LABORATORY METHODOLOGY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE / QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES

Laboratory Methodology - EWG staff collected receipts in 7 U.Due south. states -- California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Oregon and Virginia -- and the District of Columbia.

Samplers wore make clean, powder-free nitrile gloves (Dynarex). They received the receipt from the cashier and held it gently between ii fingers. In one case away from the cashier, samplers rolled the receipts with minimal handling and placed them into clean polyurethane l mL tubes (Fischer Scientific). They noted the time, date, location, items purchased, temperature and humidity besides equally the location where receipts were rolled and tubed. ATM and gas station receipts were collected directly from the machines in most cases.

EWG sent receipts to a laboratory at University of Missouri-Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences in Columbia, Mo. The laboratory weighed, measured and photographed the receipts, analyzed for BPA and screened for bisphenol B, bisphenol South and bisphenol F, using loftier-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with CoulArray detection. The standard bend in our analysis ranges from 0.05 -four nanograms per HPLC run. Four receipts that had values below and above the range of the standard curve are considered to be exterior the limit of quantitation of the assay. These estimated values were different from 5 samples labeled as "not-detectable (ND)," in which there was no evidence of BPA.

Digestion assay: Lengths of receipt weighing 200 mg each were cut and placed in a glass tube. No attempt was fabricated to command for the amount of printing on the receipt. The receipts were incubated in methanol (xv ml, to cover the receipt) for 3 hours at room temperature, with occasional agitation. The methanol was so poured into clean glass tubes and diluted for assay.

Migration analysis : EWG selected ix of the collected receipts for migration analysis. For these, a piece of lab wipe (KimWipe) was lightly dampened with methanol and wiped in a zigzag way across the acme (printed) surface of a v cm by 5 cm piece of receipt. This wipe was then soaked in methanol for 3 hours at room temperature, and the methanol then decanted and analyzed for BPA.

Quality assurance / Quality control procedures

The laboratory found no detectable BPA on sampling materials, including KimWipes, gloves and aircraft tubes.

The laboratory assessed recoveries of BPA from paper by spiking a piece of filter paper approximately 8-by-viii centimeters with BPA and soaking it in methanol, as described for the sales receipts. This method just approximates BPA recovery from receipts since the newspaper and coating matrices are different.

The laboratory as well analyzed samples with added BPA to make up one's mind whether the sample excerpt quenches or augments BPA measurements. Recoveries in positive controls averaged 92 pct. Sample data values presented in this study are not corrected for recovery.

The laboratory did not detect BPB, BPF and BPS in the receipts tested. Unidentified peaks were seen in some receipt samples that did not contain BPA. Some of these appeared to reverberate high concentrations.

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Source: https://www.ewg.org/research/bpa-coats-cash-register-receipts

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