The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition launched an investigation to learn which thermal receipt paper containing bisphenol-A (BPA) has permeated the market, and whether this hormone-disrupting chemical is escaping onto the money that lies close to these receipts in people’s wallets.
Our report, “On the Money: BPA in Dollar Bills and Receipts” found that BPA, the highly toxic chemical, does not, in fact, stay on the receipt paper, but rather easily transfers to our skin and likely to other items that it rubs against.
Report author, Erica Schreder, Staff Scientist at the Washington Toxics Coalition said, “Our findings demonstrate that BPA cannot be avoided, even by the most conscious consumer. This unregulated use of large amounts of BPA is having unintended consequences, including exposure to people when we touch receipts.”
The report, which was released on December 8, 2010, in the midst of holiday shopping season, was an enormous media hit, garnering more than 350 TV news stories and print stories in major media markets. We’ve compiled a few TV news stories in the video below. Has the information about BPA on receipts and money changed your shopping habits? Tell us about it on our Facebook page
If you haven’t already, please make sure to “like” our Facebook page to learn more about TSCA, which allows toxic chemicals to be added to everyday products, without any warning to consumers.
