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What happens when you handle a toxic receipt?

In receipt paper known as “thermal paper” because of the way the ink develops, BPA and BPS are added in their free form without being bound to the paper or polymerized. So the chemicals can easily transfer to anything a receipt touches—your hand, the money in your wallet or even the groceries in your shopping bag. Several studies have found that handling receipts, even briefly, leads to significant BPA or BPS absorption into the body.

And this type of “thermal paper” isn’t limited to receipts—it’s also used for movie and concert tickets, boarding passes and deli meat and cheese labels. It’s pretty hard to avoid. And studies have found that the body absorbs more BPA when thermal paper is handled with moist or greasy fingers. Using hand sanitizer and hand creams can make the body absorb BPA much more rapidly.

While virtually every person who has been tested has had BPA and BPS in their bodies, cashiers and other workers who handle thermal paper have more of these chemicals in their body than the rest of us. The fetuses of pregnant workers who handle toxic receipts may be the most vulnerable to exposure.