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لقد انتشرت تحذيرات على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي concerning the impact of chemicals in receipts on reproductive health for both men and women. What’s the validity of these claims, and should we be concerned?

Historically, most paper receipts contained a chemical called “Bisphenol A” (BPA) that is easily absorbed through the skin and linked to health problems such as hormone disruption. Skin exposure to BPA has been associated with fertility issues, hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, and certain cancers.

This compound has been largely replaced over the past decade with another chemical, “Bisphenol S” (BPS).

Experts, according to The Washington Post, say many of these warnings are not entirely baseless, and the risks associated with handling paper receipts depend on several factors, including frequency and duration of contact.

Nancy Hopf, an industrial toxicologist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, states, “We don’t know much about BPS, its effects on the body, or the safe levels of exposure.”

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Most paper receipts are printed on a type of paper called thermal paper, which is coated with dyes and chemicals that react to heat to create a printed image.

Andrea Gore, a pharmacology and toxicology professor at the University of Texas, explains that BPA mimics estrogen, a hormone that interacts with various cells in the body, including reproductive and brain cells.

She adds, “This compound can deceive the cell, making it believe it is connected to estrogen when, in reality, it is linked to a synthetic chemical.”

A 2023 study examining 571 paper receipts collected from 24 states found that only 1% of these contained BPA, while 85% contained BPS.

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Dr. Andrea notes, “We do not know if BPS is safer than BPA, but there’s increasing evidence that BPS also mimics estrogen in ways that may cause similar health issues, especially those related to reproduction.”

Researchers found that feeding pregnant rats BPS at levels similar to human exposure led to their female offspring facing difficulties in conception and producing fewer offspring compared to those not exposed.

A 2019 study involving 1,841 pregnant women in China found that women with the highest levels of BPS in their urine were 68% more likely to develop gestational diabetes compared to those with lower levels.

Other studies on rats linked BPS consumption to obesity, and studies on children indicated that those with higher urinary levels of BPS were more likely to show signs of insulin resistance and vascular problems.

Dr. Nancy mentioned, “We know that both BPA and BPS are absorbed through the skin and are associated with higher health risks.”

Jonathan Martin, a toxicologist and professor at Stockholm University, clarified that while it is difficult to prove that handling paper receipts causes these issues directly, there is enough evidence to recommend avoiding them and other products containing these chemicals.

The body does not absorb BPS and BPA immediately, so there is no need to worry too much about touching a receipt for a few seconds or even a few minutes. Dr. Nancy stated, “It takes a full two hours before they enter the skin.”

Wearing gloves can reduce exposure for retail workers, and Dr. Nancy noted that thermal receipt dust can stay on hands for hours, so it’s best to wash hands as soon as possible, but without using hand sanitizer, as that enhances absorption.

Receipts should be held by the fingertips and should not be left lying around, as this may shed dust onto clothing or wallets, or where young children may discover them. The best strategy is to dispose of receipts immediately.

Dr. Andrea recommended completely forgoing paper receipts in favor of digital ones.