Or are you a receipt fraudster – who keeps all your paper sales receipts for taxes or refunds?
Not one of those habits is probably a great idea, experts say, if you want to prevent toxic chemicals associated with a variety of health disorders in children and adults.
Metal food and beverage sheets are coated with an epoxy resin coating made from a family of chemicals called bisphenols.
That group includes the infamous bisphenol A that was used to make baby bottles, sippy cups and baby formula containers until feared parents boycotted those products a decade ago.
The new study found that people who had higher levels of bisphenol A in their urine were about 49% more likely to die in a 10-year period.
“This is another puzzle piece that compellingly addresses the seriousness of the threat that these chemicals pose used in tinplate devices and thermal papers,” said study author Dr. Leonardo Trasande, director of Environmental Pediatrics at NYU Langone Health.
Although this is the first study to find that result, “this is not necessarily an enormous stretch from the perspective of what you might expect to happen, because those three conditions – obesity, diabetes, and heart disease – all increase the risk. mortality, “said Trasande.
It’s in your receipts
An industrial chemical that has been around since the 1960s, BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastics – like water bottles – like resins used to coat and seal many products.
Today, the most common method of exposure to humans through food is contaminated by the lining of aluminum cans and beverages. The next highest level of exposure is through thermal paper that is used to make receipts at almost every store, Trasande said.
“Definitely saying no to that receipt of thermal paper is a straightforward way to prevent exposure.” he said.
It is especially important to understand the risk of exposure during the pandemic, he added, because studies have shown that use of sanitizer is an important gateway for the chemicals to be absorbed into the body.
“A study found that if you handle these thermal paper receipts and use a hand sanitizer, you absorb almost ten times more bisphenols in your body,” Trasande said.
Unfortunately, he added, cashiers in stores that use a lot of hand sanitizer “have a very difficult time in the context of the pandemic.”
They generally wear gloves today, so this reduces their exposure, all things considered, “stated Trasande.” But in an ideal world, we would all go electronically or go back to old school papers. “
The official attitude
The FDA says the National Toxicology Program remains at the forefront of research into possible harm.
“To stay within reach of exposure, determined to be safe, consumers should read product labels carefully and follow instructions carefully. Some exposures will not produce any reaction at all, while others may provide temporary responses allowing the body to naturally adjust and maintain its normal “The primary focus should be on avoiding too many exposures so that potential health risks can be avoided.”
Rise of the bisphenol family
Although BPA-free can be seen today on many plastic bottles and containers, environmental and health safety experts say the chemicals that have replaced them may be just as bad.
This is because they are still in the same “bisphenol family”, and appear to have the same chemical reaction on the body.
“I use a twist on the singer Prince to lay it out,” Trasande said. “Prince renamed himself as the artist who was once named Prince. That’s what I call the artist who was once known as BPA. And there are 40 BPA substitutes out there.”
Unfortunately for consumers, Trasande added, science needs to repeat studies on each of those 40 substitutes to establish their health effects, even though the body is likely to respond in a similar way to each.
“There’s always a lag, but in the meantime, people remain exposed,” Trasante said. “And you have to ask yourself how much more do we need to do this before we start regulating chemicals per class?”
What to do
“If you avoid canned food consumption, you are avoiding the main source of exposure to bisphenol,” Trasande said.
“Now the alternative to canned fruits and vegetables is frozen as fresh fruits and vegetables, and I appreciate that there are some issues about accessibility during the pandemic, and the existence of food deserts for certain economically disadvantaged groups. That needs to be addressed,” he said. he added.
Other ways to protect yourself and your family if you are concerned about exposure to BPA and its sisters include:
- Do not microwave food in plastic containers
- Choose glass or stainless steel, not plastic, when buying and storing food
- Buy dry, fresh or frozen foods if you can (the plastic bags on frozen foods are not a concern, Trasande said, as long as you do not microwave them)
- Do not use harsh detergents or wash plastic in the dishwasher
- Avoid thermal paper receipts – opt for email only
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