Paper receipts from major US retailers are so high in Bisphenol S (BPS) that holding one for 10 seconds might cause the skin to absorb enough of the extremely harmful chemical to breach California's safety standards.
This causes concern for shoppers as well as store employees who deal with hundreds of receipts every day.
Results from a recent study on US receipts are being used as support in a lawsuit to force stores to stop using receipt paper that has been treated with bisphenol S, or BPS, which has been connected to reproductive issues and cancer.
About 50 large stores in the US have received violation warnings from the non-profit Centre for Environmental Health (CEH) informing them that their BPS levels have exceeded California's Proposition 65 restrictions.
Thermal receipt paper contains BPS, a chemical that aids in the appearance of ink during printing. It is a lesser-known relative of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that’s hazardous qualities have already led to its restriction in EU food packaging.
Although BPA has been phased out by many industries, BPS has been used in its substitute, which may be equally dangerous according to CEH researchers.
Companies like Burger King, Chanel, Dollar General, AMC Theatres, GameStop, Subway, Foot Locker, and Ace Hardware are among those that received letters regarding the allegedly unlawful amounts of BPS in their receipts.
How toxic are receipts in the UK?
UK retailers aren’t completely safe from bisphenols either. Only a handful, such as the Co-op, have stopped using these bisphenols in their receipts.
A new rule limiting the use of BPA in thermal paper inside the European Union was released by the European Commission in December 2016. Thermal paper with a BPA content of 0.02 per cent or more by weight was prohibited from use in the UK and EU as of January 2, 2020.
But many retailers switched to BPS from 2020, which has potential to cause the same health concerns.
There's growing support for a ban on bisphenols even in the UK, due to health and environmental concerns
Mihir Vohra, science lead at the CEH said that the American findings were “eye-opening” and that “they really speak to just how high the concentrations of BPS are in these receipts”.
Reduced sperm count, breast cancer, hormone disruption, and problems with cognitive development have all been connected to BPS. BPS is readily absorbed via the skin and accumulates rapidly with repeated exposure, in contrast to many other compounds.
Companies are being given 60 days to reply to the violation notices.
They will need to either include a warning, such as attaching a sign warning customers about the toxicity of the receipts or switch to paper that does not contain BPS.
The CEH may file a lawsuit in California state court under Proposition 65 and request that a judge require businesses to employ an alternative or issue a warning if they don't reply within 60 days.
Under its Safer Products for Washington law, Washington state has already taken steps to become the first state in the US to ban bisphenols from receipt paper beginning in 2026.
To reduce exposure, experts advise making little adjustments such as washing your hands after handling paper receipts, avoiding crumpling or folding them, and choosing digital or emailed receipts.
Gloves may also help retail employees during their shifts.
