Partner discovers a legitimate way of stopping "significant other" splurging on crap......
Touching cash register receipts can dramatically increase your body's absorption of a potentially dangerous chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), researchers report.
BPA, originally created as an estrogen supplement, has been linked to developmental problems in infants and children, and cancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease in adults, researchers say.
The chemical is found in products ranging from plastic water bottles and food-can linings. It is also used as a print developer in thermal paper for airline tickets and store and ATM receipts, according to the researchers.
"Thermal paper is typically used for cash register receipts in restaurants, making BPA contamination of food from fingers and hands likely," said lead author Julia Taylor, an assistant professor in the division of biological sciences at the University of Missouri.
Because BPA is an endocrine disruptor, the health risks to humans are considerable, she contends.
"BPA from thermal paper can be absorbed into your blood rapidly. At the levels measured in this study, many diseases such as diabetes and disorders such as obesity may increase," Taylor said.
A similar chemical used to replace BPA in thermal paper also "can pose a threat to human health," she added. "Handling [thermal paper receipts] should be kept to a minimum."
Moreover, commonly used skin care products appear to boost the absorption rate of BPA, Taylor said.
For the study, published Oct. 22 in the online journal PLOS One, Taylor's team had people touch cash register receipts after using a hand sanitizer. The researchers then took blood and urine samples.
They found that BPA from these receipts seeped into participants' skin, dramatically increasing the amount of BPA in their body. Hand sanitizer boosted the rate of absorption, the researchers said.
To mimic behavior at fast-food restaurants, some participants were given French fries to eat with their hands after handling BPA-coated receipts. Here, too, the researchers found that BPA was rapidly absorbed through the skin.
Taylor said that because BPA is so widely used, it can be detected in the urine of over 90 percent of Americans.
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