Oakland, CA — Retail workers may be exposed to unsafe levels of a hormone-disrupting chemical when touching paper receipts for as little as 10 seconds, a nonprofit watchdog group cautions in a new report.
The Center for Environmental Health notes that some paper receipts have high levels of the chemical bisphenol S, which can be absorbed through the skin. BPS, like its chemical cousin bisphenol A, can affect normal body functions – including metabolism, growth and development – and reproduction.
CEH’s recommendations to retail workers:
- Wear gloves, if possible, to handle receipts.
- Avoid using alcohol-based hand cleaners before handling receipts because they can significantly increase BPS absorption.
The center calls on retailers to improve their receipt paper to make it safer for workers and consumers.
A 2023 study by the Ecology Center, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, analyzed 374 receipts from 144 chain retailers across the country. Findings showed that BPS was present in 80% of the receipts – down from 84% six years earlier. BPA was found in 1% of the receipts, compared with 9% six years earlier.
