Study points out that bank voucher paper can be toxic
Do you know those receipts we receive after debit and credit card transactions or when we withdraw bank statements at ATMs? For these vouchers - just like the ones we get in supermarkets, stores, etc. - are printed on thermal paper - material that contains a chemical called bisphenol A (or BPA) and whose handling may contaminate humans.
According to Reuters, exposure to bisphenol A had already been linked to a number of health problems, including impacts on reproductive functions in adults and the brain development of babies during pregnancy. BPA is chemically similar to estrogen, and scientists believe it can “mimic” the effect of estrogen on the body.
In addition to thermal paper, the substance is also used in the manufacture of rigid and transparent plastic objects - such as baby bottles, for example - and in the coating of aluminum food cans. The main known form of exposure to bisphenol A, therefore, was through ingestion of contaminated products, so much so that you may have heard the recommendation not to eat anything directly from cans. Marketing of BPA-containing bottles was also banned, and the ban came into force in Brazil in 2012.
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Now, a study by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio Medical Center, USA, found that BPA on receipts and vouchers can be absorbed through the skin as well. The team - led by Dr. Shelley Ehrlich - recruited 24 volunteers who underwent urine tests after handling thermal paper receipts over a two-hour period, with and without protective gloves.
At the beginning of the experiment, tests detected the presence of BPA in 83% of participants, and in 100% of those who handled receipts without wearing gloves after a two-hour period. The volunteers who used hand protection during the study did not show changes in the concentration of the substance in the urine.
Researchers still need to determine the implications of the finding, and have warned that people who work in constant contact with thermal paper - such as bank tellers and cashiers - may need to consider taking some precautions, especially for pregnant and lactating women. For those who do not routinely handle these materials, the suggestion is to wash their hands after contact.
