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Continuous handling of receipts increased BPA exposure
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In a recent pilot study, researchers observed an increase in urinary exposure to bisphenol A, or BPA, after continuous handling of receipts for 2 hours without gloves.
Exposure to the chemical has previously been tied to adverse health outcomes, including reproductive disorders in adults and neurodevelopment disorders in pediatrics, according to Shelley Ehrlich, MD, ScD, MPH, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and colleagues.
“We hypothesized that handling of thermal receipts significantly increases BPA exposure, but use of gloves during handling minimizes exposure,” they wrote.
They collected at least two urine samples from 24 participants (mean age, 35 years) who did not wear gloves; 12 participants provided additional samples; and 12 wore gloves, researchers wrote.
BPA was found in 83% (n=20) of samples at baseline and in 100% of samples after receipt-handling without gloves, researchers wrote.
The mean urinary BPA concentration was 1.8 mcg/L (95% CI, 1.3-2.4) before the simulation and 5.8 mcg/L (95% CI, 4-8.4) after the simulation (P=.005), according to data.
Of those who provided samples after receipt handing without gloves, the researchers observed a mean BPA urinary concentration of 2.1 mcg/L (95% CI, 1.4-3.3) at baseline, 6 mcg/L (95% CI, 3.4-10.7) at 4 hours, 11.1 mcg/L (95% CI, 5.5-22.8) at 8 hours, and 10.5 mcg/L (95% CI, 4.9-22.6) at 24 hours. These data were significantly different from samples at baseline, according to data.
“We observed no significant increase in urinary BPA after handling receipts with gloves,” they wrote.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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