5 Ways to Prevent Hazardous BPA Exposure from Payment Receipt or ATM Paper

After paying at the supermarket or restaurant and after taking the money at the ATM machine, you will definitely receive a receipt. Many people keep this receipt paper directly. However, did you know that actual exposure to the contents of this paper can have health impacts?

ATM paper as well as a number of purchase receipts are of a different type from other papers and are often thermal paper. This type of paper itself turns out to contain Bisphenol A or BPA which is carcinogenic and can cause cancer.

Previous research has suggested that BPA plays a role in increasing the risk of prostate and breast cancer. Apart from cancer, other health problems that may be caused include cardiovascular disease, as well as abnormal development of the brain and reproduction.

Apart from receipt paper, this BPA is usually found in plastic drinking bottles. However, it turns out that the BPA content in this thermal paper is greater and more dangerous than that in plastic bottles.

It may be very difficult for us to avoid using receipt paper made from thermal paper in everyday life. However, there are also ways that we can do to minimize exposure. Reporting from consumer reports, here are five ways to reduce exposure to BPA in receipt paper.

5 Ways to Prevent Hazardous BPA Exposure from Payment Receipt or ATM Paper

How to Minimize Paper Exposure

1. Use gloves as we usually encounter in pharmacies and other places. These thin rubber gloves are enough to dampen BPA exposure from receipt paper.

2. Do not accept or print the receipt when you make payment. Some shopping malls and ATMs already have the option of not printing receipts and they even want to send them straight to your e-mail.

3. Keep receipts in separate containers and not in your wallet. Use a separate plastic container so that the BPA content is not exposed to other objects such as money when stored in your wallet.

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Wash Your Hands As Soon As Possible

4. Wash hands immediately after receiving the receipt. Do this especially when you are going to eat or cook. Simply wash your hands with soap and water to clean any exposure to BPA that may be on your hands. Avoid using hand sanitizers as they may increase the exposure to BPA on your hands.

5. Avoid holding paper receipts when you are pregnant. In addition, do not let children hold this paper. Research suggests that when conceived and in childhood, BPA poses a greater health hazard.

Exposure to BPA that is too high can have repercussions if it lasts for a long time. Doing so can at least avoid the emergence of more serious health problems.