Endocrine Disruptors with Printed Cashier Paper

Does the BPA in thermal paper have significant health effects?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production volume chemical and a well-studied endocrine disruptor with estrogenic effects widely reported and reviewed in the literature.

There is much debate about the health effects of BPA in receipt paper. Some people are understandably concerned about this chemical, as it is an endocrine disruptor that massively interferes with the function of the body's natural hormones. Infants most at risk for BPA exposure are more sensitive to the chemical. Many countries and regions have taken steps to regulate and restrict the use of BPA, especially in food and beverage containers. Some countries have banned the use of BPA in baby products.

However, some studies have shown that bisphenol A in thermal paper is not a risk factor for human cancer. According to a study published by Springer-Verlag, people who handled receipt paper for 10 hours a day were exposed to an average of 71 micrograms of BPA per day. This level is 42 times lower than the Tolerated Daily Intake (TDI), the estimated amount of BPA a person can be exposed to daily during a lifetime without posing a significant health risk. This study focused on people who use receipt paper extremely frequently, so most people's exposure to BPA from receipt paper is much lower. However, people who handle thermal paper throughout their workday are unlikely to be exposed to toxic levels of BPA.