Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S in thermal paper and erasers

By Ifham Nizam

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) yesterday reveled that it had found toxic Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPS) in thermal paper receipts and phthalate in some erasers. The CEJ says BPA has been found in plastic feeding bottles and cups,

Thermal paper is a special fine paper coated with a material formulated to change colour when exposed to heat.

BPA is a known Endocrine Disruptive Chemical used in thermal paper as a colour developer. Receipts from cash registers are one of the main sources of human exposure to this chemical, CEJ Project planning and Management officer Chalani Rubesinghe said.

BPA is found to be associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a complex hormonal condition associated with irregular menstrual cycles), reduced fertility, increased risk of diabetes in women.

BPA affects fertility in men and is associated with sexual dysfunction among them. BPA is also associated with breast, prostate, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. BPA affects brain development and behaviour. Increased anxiety could result from exposure to this chemical.

“This is the second time, the CEJ is revealing the detection of such harmful chemicals in consumer products. It proves how exposed we are to these toxic chemicals. We hope that state officials concerned will take urgent action at lease now. We must impose strict regulations on all imported/ sold plastic goods including children’s products such as erasers and feeding bottles,” Dilena Pathragoda, Executive Director, Centre for Environmental Justice said.

The CEJ sent 31 thermal paper receipts from Sri Lanka for testing in South Korea. The samples included thermal paper receipts from banks, delivery receipts or general retail shops, hospital number tickets or receipts, local franchise stores, small supermarkets or convenience stores, large major supermarkets, bus tickets and a receipt from a hardware store. Except for one sample, all the rest had either BPA or BPS. The concentration range of BPA was 0.92% to 1.75%, and that of BPS was 0.49% to 0.78%. The level of BPA exceeded the EU standard of 0.02%, he said.

“Based on this study we recommend that people keep the least contact with the thermal paper type receipts they get from any source. We recommend the use of normal paper receipts instead of thermal paper bills/ receipts to all our merchandisers,” Rubesinghe added.

The said study was supported by the Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health (WIOEH) with funds from Financial Industry Public Interest Foundation (FIPIF) in Korea.

The study included samples from eight countries namely; Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and Sri Lanka.

The BPS (Bisphenol S), the alternative to BPA used in around 2012 is also found to interfere with hormone functioning.

Having these chemicals in thermal receipts increases the risk of exposure in both cashiers handling the receipts at workspace and consumers who take them. Researchers reveal that BPA in thermal paper receipts can easily transfer to human body through skin and this transfer is even faster when the skin is wet.

The study has revealed the presence of BPA in 55% of the total samples and the presence of BPS in 38%. None of the samples were found to have Bisphenol F (BPF), Bisphenol B (BPB), or Bisphenol.