Bisphenol A: Another Reason You Don't Need Your Receipt

Average Receipt? 60-80 milligrams?

I just read the Science News article about this matter, which is why I am on this forum. I was looking for the original research because of a couple of quoted statements by one of the researchers that bothered me. He does not mention what he means by the "average receipt out there." Based on a lifetime of experience of many short receipts and a few "telephone book" receipts, I would say three inches of paper is about my average. His figure of 60 to 80 milligrams of BPA seems unlikely on a piece of that paper that small. Having seen a gram of white powder subdivided into lines of about that weight in my long past personal experience, I'd have to say "No Way." Irrespective of the actual facts, when, or if, his assertions ever receive peer review, he better shape up and write like a researcher.

John Vonderlin of CA @ Nov 13, 2009 19:12:47 PM

Don't trust the computer.

I'm sure most of us has heard in the news of the erroneous credit card transactions that are so ridiculously huge that they could not be true. Also I personally have had to use paper receipts to correct things at the bank. Even if the receipt is handled by a third party like those mentioned, how can you gaurantee the transaction is going to be correct? I think the paper mill should come up with a bit of innovation here because I for one will not ever trust the computers to tell the real story and I have been working in the interstate computer networking business for 20 years.

John of MI @ Nov 12, 2009 09:04:29 AM

Protection

Read article in Science News.

Do latex gloves offer any protection in handling the receipts? I have had a love affair with receipts all my adult life. I use them to keep the financial affairs in the house accurate. This is somewhat devastating.

Karla of WA @ Nov 07, 2009 12:08:46 PM

Lies? Then what are the brands and who are manufacturers?

Hi Anthony,

Not clear why you are asserting that the article is a "bunch of lies." The writer states clearly that "... not all receipt papers were found to contain BPA," which renders unnecessary your counter that "There are brands of thermal and carbonless receipts that do not have BPA."

Concerning your assertion that "This kind of fear mongering has to stop," what exactly do you mean? The first major epidemiologic study to examine the health effects associated with BPA was published more than a year ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Among its conclusions: there a significant relationship between urine concentrations of BPA and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities in a representative sample of the adult US population. Additionally, a growing number of independent and well-designed scientific studies (unlike those funded by the polymer/polycarbonate industry) confirm that BPA is potentially a major health concern. You are correct when you suggest that the science needs to be verified; there is a dangerous tendency among fear-mongers to portray associative findings as hard fact. In the case of BPA—as in that of global warming—the causal findings are too numerous and too conclusive to ignore. We now need to be focusing on prospective studies which should include pregnant women, infants, children and adults.

Getting back to your opening assertion, Anthony, do you know whose brands of thermal and carbonless receipts do or do not have BPA? That would be useful information for all of us.

Thanks,

Jim

Jim Lange of FL @ Oct 26, 2009 17:16:36 PM

bunch of lies

There are brands of thermal and carbonless receipts that do not have BPA. This kind of fear mongering has to stop. Get the science verified before publishing this kind of article. Worry about checking how much energy in the form of electricity is used for sending emails and maintaining servers.

Anthony Desilva of OH @ Oct 22, 2009 18:14:33 PM

About Time

Great article, this is just another reason why not to get a receipt. There are some other options out there. I heard about this company, TransactionTree, and recently tried there service at a local retailer. They emailed me my receipt (instantly) and I have 24 hour access to my receipts through their website. Also, I got a coupon in the email, so the next time I return to the retailer I get a discount.

Susan of CT @ Oct 22, 2009 13:34:42 PM

Alletronic has an iPhone app

BPA really worries me, so I thought I'd call Alletronic. Apparently, they're coming out with an iPhone app that will send a "paperless" receipt to your iPhone immediately after the transaction is complete. Pretty cool!

Craig of CA @ Oct 12, 2009 15:03:55 PM

Another Way

This is one area that has had no innovation. Check out TransactionTree, they are bringing the world into the eReceipt society.

Peter of CA @ Oct 12, 2009 10:04:35 AM