Latest news with #BisphenolS
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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. Men's Multivitamins Recalled Due To Undeclared Allergen: Fda 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. Read On The Fox News App "Studies show that BPS can be absorbed through skin when handling receipt paper – even for short periods." This Odd Dental Habit Could Spark Heart Health Risks, Experts Warn 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. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "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 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 article source: Holding paper receipts for just 10 seconds can pose health risks, researchers warn
Fox News
24-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
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 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.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
You Might Not Want to Touch Receipts After Seeing This Horrifying Research
Think twice before saying yes to that receipt. According to new research from the Center for Environmental Health, the tiny paper documents used by major US retailers contain alarmingly high levels of Bisphenol S (BPS), an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacturing — high enough to be dangerous even in the brief period it takes you to stuff one into your pocket. "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," Mihir Vohra, science lead at CEH, said in a statement about the findings. Citing tests conducted by an independent lab and the latest literature on the subject, the CEH has taken legal action by sending violation notices to around 50 companies found to have BPS-laden receipts with concentrations violating California's Proposition 65 limits, The Guardian reports. Some of the most notable brands include Burger King, Walmart, Dollar General and AMC Theaters. "[The findings were] really eye-opening for us," Vohra told the Guardian. "They really speak to just how high the concentrations of BPS are in these receipts." Bisphenols are a group of chemicals used to manufacture commonplace consumer goods, ranging from food packaging to clothing to electronics. In recent decades, however, some research has suggested that exposure to a variant known as Bisphenol A (BPA) is linked to a number of troubling health outcomes, including breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, and even premature death. And virtually everyone may be exposed to a significant degree: a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2013 and 2014 found detectable levels of BPAs in 95.7 percent of urine samples. While the US Food and Drug and Administration still considers BPAs to be safe, European Union regulators have recently banned using BPA in products that come into contact with food. In response to the uncertainty around the safety of BPA, which many manufacturers are phasing out, BPS has been touted as its safer replacement — but that may not be the case. Emerging literature has linked BPS to similar toxic effects: it may increase the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cause damage to the reproductive system. In December 2023, California listed BPS as a substance that causes reproductive issues. Under Proposition 65, also known the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, the move forces businesses to either drop the chemical from their products or to provide a warning to customers about the presence of BPS within one year. That year has elapsed. By calling out the BPS levels in the receipts — where it's used as a coating for the thermal paper the documents are printed on — the CEH is pressuring businesses to comply with the demands within 60 days. If they don't play ball, the nonprofit can sue. In the meantime, the CEH advises customers to decline printed receipts. But the biggest danger, it notes, is for the cashiers that handle them daily. "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 Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, senior director of the CEH's Toxic Exposures and Pollution Prevent Program, said in the statement. More on plastics: Doctors Say They've Found a Way to Clean the Microplastics Out of Your Body
