we all know about the bpa in plastic. but seriously, receipts?
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handling receipts for an extended period of time is associated with an increase in bpa levels
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- high levels of bpa in urine is correlated with a 49 per cent increased risk of mortality
- handling receipts can cause an increase in bpa absorption
- bpa can be absorbed through handling receipts and from eating food out of certain plastics or metal food and drink cans
- plastic containers that have a three-sided triangular arrow surrounding the number 7, or have the markings “pc” or “polycarbonate” may contain bpa
along with plastic water bottles, it might be time to ditch those receipts and go waste-free.
a recent study published in the journal of the american medical association (jama) network open suggests that bpa exposure — a man-made polycarbonate found in many kinds of plastics, receipts, and coating metal food and drink cans — is linked to increased mortality among u.s. adults.
researchers from the university of iowa looked at health survey and urine data from 3,883 adults collected through the u.s. national health and nutrition examination survey (nhanes) between 2003 to 2008. they then connected this information to mortality data over the next decade.
after controlling for age, sex, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, dietary and other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that high levels of bpa in urine is correlated with a 49 per cent increased risk of mortality than those with lower levels.
“this is another puzzle piece that compellingly speaks to the seriousness of the threat posed by these chemicals used in can linings and thermal papers,” study author dr. leonardo trasande, director of environmental pediatrics at nyu langone health, told cnn.
research is still in the dark about what, exactly, may cause this increased mortality rate, or if bpa is simply an indicator for something else. bpa is thought to be an “endocrine disruptor” — interfering with the natural functioning of testosterone, estrogen, various thyroid hormones, and weight-controlling hormones like leptin, according to university 世界杯决赛2022.
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bpa is in some surprising places
in a 2014 study published in jama network open, 24 participants handled thermal receipts for two continuous hours with bare hands and then a week later repeated the exercise while wearing nitrile gloves. after handling thermal receipts without gloves, participants had an increase in bpa levels in their urine for at least 24 hours. there was no significant increase after the experiment was conducted with gloves.
the research still needs to be expanded to a larger pool of participants, but this finding is concerning — especially for cashiers who can spend hours each day handling thermal receipts.
extra precautions taken during the pandemic can also make things worse. in a study completed by the university of missouri, when participants used alcohol-based hand sanitizers and then touched a receipt immediately after, there was an increased transfer of bpa from the receipt onto the hands. in some cases, it was a much as 100 times the level that would normally transfer.
bpa present on the hands can also be transferred to food the individual touches immediately after handling the receipt, further increasing absorption.
on top of the residue our hands can transfer to our food, many canned food products also contain trace amounts of bpa.
bpa in canned food packages
in 2010, researchers from health canada released a paper where they had evaluated how much bpa leached into food from the packaging. seventy-eight different samples of canned food were picked up at various grocery stores throughout ottawa. of the 78 food products, bpa was detected in all but one sample (tomato paste).
in general, canned tuna and condensed soup had the highest amount of bpa concentrations, while vegetables and ready-to serve soup had the lowest. the researchers hypothesized that the presence of fat in the food products increases the leaching of bpa, although they do not have data to confirm this suspicion.
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it is promising that all products tested in the study by health canada were below the specific migration limit of 0.6 mg/kg (600 ng/g) set by the european commission directive for bpa in food.
a similar study conducted by the fda in the united states also had researchers pick up various brands of the 16 most-bought canned food items in the u.s., comprising more than 65 per cent of american canned food sales. samples included chili (the most highly consumed canned food according to neilson sales data from 2007 to 2009), ravioli, pork, and beans.
in total, researchers found that bpa had seeped into the food in 71 of the 78 different samples. the concentration of bpa varied widely from brand to brand and there was no significant trend between store, premium, or organic brands.
similar to the canadian study, fruits (except tomatoes) had the lowest bpa concentrations, however, this study also found that tuna samples had among the lowest bpa concentrations. the researchers pointed out that this was likely due to a u.s. industry practice of using tin and not polycarbonate in packaging tuna — it is possible that these practices differ in canada.
all bpa concentrations in the fda experiment were well below the 600 ng/g threshold, except for one brand of refried black beans by a national brand (the brand name was not disclosed — its samples ranged from 280 to 790 ng of bpa per gram of food).
what are canada’s laws about bpa?
the government of canada has acknowledged that bpa’s presence in our general environment has the potential to harm humans and recommends that individuals ingest no more than 25 µg (25,000 ng) per kilogram of bodyweight per day. however, it is unclear if this recommendation, set in 1996 and re-affirmed in 2008, still holds true in light of recent information.
consumers are recommended to check the bottom of plastic containers for a three-sided triangular arrow surrounding the number 7, or for markings “pc” or “polycarbonate.” these products may contain bpa. only microwave, heat up, and store food in glass, stainless steel or food-grade plastics and avoid using plastic containers that are old, stained, or have an unpleasant smell.
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finally ditch that plastic water bottle for something more eco-friendly. although we’re sure you’ve already done that.
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