Health hazard BPA now found in cash register receipts. Bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA) is a chemical in the class known as organic compounds. It is most commonly used as an additive for certain types of plastic and epoxy resins.
NOTE: The term "Organic Compound" should not be used to confer any sense of safety. In the field of chemistry, "Organic Compound" only means that the molecular structure of the chemical contains at least one carbon atom.
The health dangers of BPA leaching out of food packaging (and into the food) first became widely known in 2008, when various government agencies around the world discovered that BPA was likely tied to numerous health problems.
The National Toxicology Program released a report in September of 2008 which listed BPA as a chemical of "some concern" for its effects on "developmental toxicity on fetuses, infants and children." The fact that BPA has only achieved the status of "some concern" is of great alarm to many of those critical of half-hearted efforts by US regulatory agencies to protect the American public.
The list of potential health damage to to BPA is long and scary. According to Science News, BPA is "a biologically active estrogen mimic." Animal studies have shown that fetal exposure is especially risky. The Science News article points out that the amount of BPA found on some of the receipts was very high. For example, one receipt from McDonalds in Connecticut had as much BPA as could be found in 126 cans of a popular brand of canned ravioli which had one of the highest levels of contamination of BPA. And the level of the McDonalds receipt was less than one third of that found on a Safeway receipt from Washington DC.
BPA is also an endocrine disruptor capable of mimicing human hormones. Neurological studies at the Yale School of Medicine have also tied BPA to interferring with brain functions vital to "memory, learning and mood" according to Wikipedia.
The Wikipedia article says that BPA has also been tied to:
- Obesity
- Disruption of the dopaminergic system
- Thyroid function
- Breast cancer
- Prostate development and cancer
- Reproductive system development
- Sexual behavior and functioning
With all that is known about BPA, the question remains as to what is of more concern: That there is so much BPA on the nation's cash register receipts or that the stuff is still legal at all for general contact with the nation's consumers.
- Walmart
- CVS
- Chevron
- The US Postal Service
- And even the cafeterias at the US House of Representatives
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Comments
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So where is the BPA coming from? Is it the register or the receipt tape? Can someone provide more info? For all we know, it could be the process of "marking" the receipt. If that is the case, TV and Radio EAS slips, could be an OSHA concern, since the same exact slips get attached to logs, for FCC inspection. More info will let us know what is a hazard, and how far the hazard goes.
The BPA is coming from the receipts. Some manufactures use it in very small amounts and some in great amounts. Some do not use BPA at all. Unfortunately, it is not possible to tell which have the BPA just by looking at them with the naked eye. Now that it has become known, retailers can now know to ask whether the tapes contain BPA.
The BPA is coming from the receipts. Some manufactures use it in very small amounts and some in great amounts. Some do not use BPA at all. Unfortunately, it is not possible to tell which have the BPA just by looking at them with the naked eye. Now that it has become known, retailers can now know to ask whether the tapes contain BPA.
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