Holding paper receipts for just 10 seconds can pose health risks, researchers warn
Health researchers are sounding the alarm about an endocrine disruptor commonly found in paper receipts – and they say it doesn't take long for your hands to absorb the chemical.
In an Apr. 14 statement, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced a notice of violation for 32 retailers that allegedly had high levels of Bisphenol S (BPS) in their receipts.
In the official notice of violation on April 11, the companies named dozens of national corporations.
The organization described Bisphenol S (BPS) as the "lesser-known but harmful chemical cousin to BPA in receipt paper," and described the organic compound as "hormone-disrupting."
"BPS, like [Bisphenol A] … mimics estrogen and can disrupt the normal functioning of the body, including metabolism, growth and development, and reproduction," the statement said.
"Studies show that BPS can be absorbed through skin when handling receipt paper – even for short periods."
The statement claimed that holding a BPS-laced receipt for just 10 seconds could have serious health consequences.
"Based on these studies and testing by an independent lab, the concentrations were so high that touching only one receipt with BPS for 10 seconds resulted in exposure above the safe harbor level, which requires a clear and reasonable warning to consumers," CEH Science Lead Mihir Vohra said in the press release.
CEH stated that a lawsuit will be filed against the alleged violators unless they agree to "provide clear and reasonable warnings" to consumers or "reformulate such products to eliminate the BPS exposures."
The retailers will also have to pay an "appropriate civil penalty."
The organization advised consumers to decline paper receipts whenever possible.
"Store workers who must handle receipts should wear gloves if possible or avoid using alcohol-based hand cleaners before handling a receipt, because it can significantly increase the absorption of BPS," said CEH Senior Director Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon in the release.
"Receipts are made from thermal paper, which shouldn't be recycled because they contain bisphenols like BPA and BPS, which can contaminate the recycling stream and pose health and environmental risks."
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel noted that digital receipts are more prevalent than ever.
"We are definitely moving in the direction of digital receipts anyway," the medical expert told Fox News Digital.
Siegel also noted that many Americans are exposed to Bisphenol A (BPA) without noticing it – for example, it can commonly be found on smartphone cases, despite not being found on iPhones.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
More research needs to be done on the impact of "forever chemicals" like BPS, the doctor suggested.
"Forever chemicals are everywhere and there is a concern about fertility," Siegel cautioned.
"We need to do a better job of documenting and limiting exposure."
BPS has been scrutinized in recent years over its potential to adversely impact people's health.
In 2021, German researchers found that the chemical compound could "seriously damage" human brains after studying its effects on the nerve cells of goldfish.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
What to know before visiting a chiropractor: Experts discuss benefits and risks
Nearly 62 million adults saw a chiropractor in the last five years and around 35.5 million did so in the last 12 months, a Gallup survey showed. While chiropractic treatment has been shown to have many benefits, experts also urge caution about potential risks. Fox News Digital gathered experts' input on when to see a chiropractor and when to consult a spine specialist. 'I'm A Spinal Surgeon – Here's How Your Posture Is Killing Your Back' One of the main differences between spine doctors and chiropractors is that spine doctors go to medical school and have highly specialized training. "The majority of our decision-making is based on science," said Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, an orthopedic spine surgeon located in the New York City metro area. "We do a lot of research … a lot about decision-making is research-based." Read On The Fox News App Chiropractors, on the other hand, are not medical doctors, but hold a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree. They can have a variety of specialties and certifications, with a focus on manual spinal adjustments and other musculoskeletal issues. A chiropractor's methods are generally less invasive than a surgeon's. "The ultimate goal of chiropractic is to help your body move and function the way it's meant to," Tori Hartline, a chiropractor at Sunlife Chiropractic in Frisco, Texas, told Fox News Digital. "When your spine is out of alignment, it puts unnecessary pressure on muscles, causing them to tighten up." "The reality is, throughout our daily lives, we all do things that can throw our spine out of alignment — whether it's sitting too long, sleeping in a strange position, poor posture or repetitive movements." These small stressors might not seem like a big deal at first, but when they continue long-term and are unaddressed, they can lead to more serious injuries and chronic pain, Hartline warned. Some of the most noteworthy benefits of chiropractic care are reduced tension, inflammation and stress, according to the expert. Okubadejo noted that if you feel a joint is "out of alignment" or "you just don't feel right," a chiropractor's musculoskeletal expertise could be beneficial. On the flip side, seeing a chiropractor for a more serious issue can lead to significant complications that may not emerge right away following an appointment, according to Okubadejo. "Sometimes you may have underlying diagnoses without knowing, and you see a chiropractor, and if you have a setback, then you won't know until afterwards," he told Fox News Digital. "I think any kind of radiating pain, anything that travels down your arm [or] down your back … you definitely want to see an orthopedic specialist." Just 1 In 10 Back Pain Treatments Work, Study Says — What To Do Instead The doctor said this also applies to anything "potentially nerve-related," like numbness, tingling or weakness in any part of the body. If the chiropractor doesn't recognize that you may have deeper, more serious issues with your spine, the treatments could potentially lead to spinal cord injury, Okubadejo cautioned. That's why he encourages patients not to avoid a chiropractor altogether, but to use a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to care. "But if it's just primarily pain, then in those cases, if a patient has an interest in chiropractic, I wouldn't discourage it," Okubadejo said. "If it's something mild to moderate, strictly musculoskeletal, in that case, it's safe." There are a few things to look for when selecting a chiropractic professional, experts say. "Just like other healthcare professions, chiropractic has different specialties — so it is important to find the right chiropractor for your specific needs," Hartline told Fox News Digital. "Take a look at their office, certifications, areas of focus and the types of conditions they commonly treat to make sure it is a good fit," she advised. The goal of any adjustment is to help your body feel more at ease, so "your comfort should always be a part of the conversation," Hartline added. "I think if a chiropractor isn't linked to a spine surgery practice or doesn't have a strong relationship and maybe takes too much on, on their own, that could be potentially harmful," Okubadejo noted. The best "green flag," he said, "is someone who's very transparent, who explains everything to you, someone who shows you the imaging, who takes on the role as an educator … and has a very clear treatment plan." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Someone who is vague on diagnoses or doesn't order tests or imaging after you've voiced your concerns is "definitely a red flag," he said. "One common misconception is that chiropractic always involves those 'popping' sounds," Hartline noted. "Those are called manual adjustments, but there are plenty of other gentle techniques that do not involve any cracking at all." For more Health articles, visit She added, "If that kind of thing makes you nervous, just let your chiropractor know — they can absolutely adjust their approach. " Similarly, Okubadejo noted, "It's critical that [patients] understand exactly what's going on with them — because that informed perspective makes the treatment much easier."Original article source: What to know before visiting a chiropractor: Experts discuss benefits and risks
2 days ago
RFK Jr. has promoted 'freedom of choice' while limiting vaccines, food
Prior to becoming Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had espoused the idea of "medical freedom," the ability of people to make personal health decisions for themselves and their families without corporate or government coercion. It's an idea supported under Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement to reduce the prevalence of chronic disease in the U.S. by making healthier lifestyle choices. On topics, such as vaccines, Kennedy has said he wouldn't prevent children from being able to receive vaccines but would leave the choice up to parents. "I'm a freedom-of-choice person," Kennedy told Fox News host Sean Hannity during an interview in March. "We should have transparency. We should have informed choice, and if people don't want it, the government shouldn't force them to do it." Some public health experts told ABC News, however, that the HHS has been limiting choices on some products for many Americans despite Kennedy's talk about "freedom of choice." Just last week, Kennedy announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for certain groups. Additionally, Kennedy has called on states to ban recipients of food stamps from being able to use them to purchase soda. He has also praised states for banning fluoride from public drinking water and indicated he will change federal guidance on recommending adding fluoride. The public health experts said Kennedy's actions are setting up a dichotomy on public health. "I think that RFK Jr. has done a really good job of identifying some of the problems [in public health], but it's the solutions that are problematic," Dr. Craig Spencer, an associate professor of the practice of health services, policy and practice at Brown University School of Public Health, told ABC News. "What you're seeing with RFK Jr. and his approach to health is an individualization of public health. It's this idea that you can make decisions for your health, and that's always been true." He went on, "We need to be able to follow their guidance, not just have them tell us, 'Follow your own science.' As the focus shifts from community to individuals, we're losing a lot of that underpinning, which has led to a lot of the gains in public health." Limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines Kennedy has repeatedly stated that he is not anti-vaccine and that he supports vaccination. Shortly after Trump's election, Kennedy said in an interview with NBC News that "if vaccines are working for somebody, I'm not going to take them away. People ought to have choice, and that choice ought to be informed by the best information." During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy said he supported the childhood vaccination schedule and that he would not do anything as head of HHS that "makes it difficult or discourages people from taking vaccines." Separately, in an opinion piece Kennedy wrote for Fox News in March on the nationwide measles outbreak, he said the measles vaccine helps protect individuals and provides "community immunity" but also called the decision to vaccinate a "personal one." However, last week, Kennedy announced the removal of the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC's immunization schedule for "healthy children and healthy pregnant women." The CDC's immunization schedule is not just a guide for doctors but also determines insurance coverage for most major private plans and Medicaid expansion programs. Following Kennedy's announcement, the schedule was updated noting all children would be eligible for COVID vaccines, but now under a shared-clinical decision-making model -- allowing parents to choose whether their children are vaccinated alongside advice from a doctor. "Regarding the vaccines, HHS is restoring the doctor-patient relationship," HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told ABC News in a statement. "We are encouraging those groups to consult with their health care provider to help them make an informed decision. This is freedom of choice." "If you restrict access, you necessarily restrict choice," Dr. Matthew Ferrari, a professor of biology and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University, told ABC News. "Those two things are antithetical. You can't do both. You can't say you're allowing choice if you're restricting access." Ferrari said the idea of "medical freedom" is catchy, but public health recommendations are made based on how to protect the most vulnerable individuals. "If you look at the outcomes, if you look at the consequences of that movement, it has been to disproportionately restrict access to -- and restrict support and infrastructure to allow people to access -- preventive medicine," he said. "It's sort of easy to say, 'Well, take the vaccine away. But [vaccines] prevent a future outcome of illness for yourself and for others in the community." Traditionally, the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices decides if there is a benefit to a yearly vaccine and who should get it. The independent advisory committee then makes recommendations to the CDC, which has the final say. The committee was set to meet in late June to vote on potential changes to COVID vaccine recommendations. Spencer said Kennedy's bypassing of traditional avenues when it comes to changing vaccine recommendations is also taking away choice from people. "This did not go through the normal process that it should have, and he basically just made a decision for people while at the same time saying that he's going to let people make a decision," Spencer said. Restricting foods under SNAP Kennedy has also campaigned to prevent Americans from using food stamps -- provided under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- to buy candy and soda. "It's nonsensical for U.S. taxpayers to spend tens of billions of dollars subsidizing junk that harms the health of low-income Americans," Kennedy wrote in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal last September. At a MAHA event in late May, Kennedy said the governors of 10 states have submitted waivers to the United States Department of Agriculture requesting permission to ban SNAP recipients from using benefits to buy candy and soft drinks. "The U.S. government spends over $4 trillion a year on health care," Nixon said in a statement. "That's not freedom -- it's failure. Secretary Kennedy is unapologetically taking action to reverse the chronic disease epidemic, not subsidize it with taxpayer dollars. Warning Americans about the dangers of ultra-processed food isn't an attack on choice -- it's the first step in restoring it." Nutrition experts agree that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are unhealthy. Frequent consumption of SSBs is linked to health issues such as weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease and kidney diseases, according to the CDC. Kristina Petersen, an associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University, told ABC News there is a crisis of diet-related diseases in the U.S., which increase the risk of disability and reduces lifespan. However, she said there needs to be strong evidence of the benefits of restrictive policies if they are to be put in place. "In terms of limiting people's choices, it is important to consider all the different roles that food plays in someone's life, and so obviously we want people eating nutritious foods, but also we need to acknowledge that food is a source of enjoyment," Petersen said. "A lot of social situations revolve around food. So, when we're thinking about reducing people's access to given foods, we need to think about the consequences of that." One unintended consequence could be an eligible family not signing up for SNAP benefits because of the restrictions, she said. Even if a ban on buying candy and soda with SNAP benefits does occur, Petersen said she is not aware of any evidence that shows banning certain foods leads to healthier diets. She added that the nation's dietary guidelines are written to emphasize healthy foods like fruits and vegetable rather than telling people to avoid or restrict less healthy foods. "All foods can be consumed as part of a healthy dietary pattern. It's really just the amount and the frequency that determines whether that pattern is helpful overall or less helpful," Petersen said. "People can have small indulgences, but really, we're interested in what is their pattern over a period of time." Providing incentives for purchasing healthier foods may be more effective and still allow people to have choice, Petersen said. A 2018 study used a model simulation to study the effects of food incentives, disincentives or restrictions in SNAP. One of the simulations involving incentives for foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish and plant-based oils found to have the most substantial health benefits and be the most cost-effective. "Things like fruits and vegetables, they do tend to be more expensive, so if you incentivize them by providing more benefits … that's making the dollar go further, and it's kind of making the economic piece of this a bit stronger," Petersen said. "A lot of this is framed around personal choice. Rather than restricting access to, how can we give people more access to healthy foods? I think that's going to have the greatest benefit here."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Ozempic users report surprising cravings for certain smells: Here's what to know
While Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs have been shown to have myriad benefits, they can also present some unwelcome effects, primarily nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Some are also reporting changes in their sense of smell — sometimes referred to as "Ozempic smell" — as one of the lesser-known side effects of GLP-1 medications. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people taking these drugs could be suddenly drawn to sugary perfumes and scents, possibly even craving them. Is Ozempic Ruining Your Teeth? What To Know About Impact On Dental Health Some users on Reddit have reported unexpected cravings and appreciations for perfumes. "I started semaglutide in April last year and have lost 80lbs and gained a newfound appreciation for fragrances," wrote one user. Read On The Fox News App Another user replied, "My scent obsession started when I started my shots…" GLP-1 receptor agonists work by imitating the natural hormone GLP-1, which helps to regulate blood sugar and maintains a feeling of fullness. Originally created as an agent to treat diabetes, the class of medications has become a popular weight-loss solution. Weight-loss, Diabetes Drugs Linked To Vision Problems In Small Study The regions that control people's senses of taste and smell are also primary sources of this natural hormone, studies have shown. Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, says that while he hasn't observed this phenomenon in his own patients, the medications do alter digestion. "I have seen an increase in reflux and burping related to delayed gastric emptying with these drugs," he told Fox News Digital. "This can lead to an acidic or sour taste, which could theoretically affect smell as well." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter The reported side effect aligns with another trend: Gourmand fragrances (sweet-smelling, sugary perfume scents like cake batter and caramel) are rising in popularity, as reported by Forbes. The gourmand fragrance market has been rising in recent years, and is expected to exceed $35 billion in 2025, market research shows. Searches for "caramel perfume" in particular are expected to grow by 42% this year. So far, no specific studies have determined what link, if any, GLP-1 medications have to proclivity for sugary perfumes. "This [effect] would be in a relatively small number of cases," Siegel said, referring to patients who develop an olfactory sweet tooth. For more Health articles, visit Further research is required to investigate the potential link between GLP-1 medications and changes in perception of the way people taste and smell, he article source: Ozempic users report surprising cravings for certain smells: Here's what to know
