If you’ve read labels on baby bottles and sippy cups lately, you’ve no doubt noticed a “BPA-free” or “No BPA” graphic on the labels. BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical found in many plastics, and it’s a concern because it mimics estrogen in the body, which could interfere with development or worse. It’s even been proven to pass through the umbilical cord to an unborn baby.
90% of baby bottles are now BPA-free, so we must be doing all we can to keep safe from this chemical. Right? Wrong.
Just last week, Swiss scientists confirmed that BPA is present in thermal paper used in receipts, and what’s worse, it’s been proven be absorbed by the skin before it can be washed off. Wet hands and alcohol-based hand sanitizers actually increase the amount of BPA that gets into the body.
Lab testing showed that some of the worst offenders for BPA levels on receipts are grocery stores, including Safeway and Whole Foods. However, safer alternatives are available.
How to Stay Safe from BPA Receipts
To protect yourself and your family, try not to handle receipts. If you work in retail, consider wearing gloves to minimize contact with the chemical. Let your accountant know, and when you do your taxes, consider wearing gloves. It should also go without saying that children should not hold or play with receipts.
BPA is also found in plastic food containers, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services even acknowledges “Trace amounts of BPA can be found in some foods packaged in these containers…including canned liquid infant formula.”
It’s Time to Ban BPA
It’s time to do something about this. Tell your Senators and Congress Representatives that you support The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010. If you use Twitter, you can write to them at @2gov and the message will be forwarded to them, even if they are not on Twitter. You can also sign a petition at The Environmental Working Group, which paid for the study of the receipts. Note: MommySite.com has no affiliation with EWG and disclaims any responsibility for their actions.
The current laws protecting consumers from toxic chemicals are outdated and backwards. According to Senator Frank Lautenberg, who introduced the legislation,
The “Safe Chemicals Act of 2010” requires safety testing of all industrial chemicals, and puts the burden on industry to prove that chemicals are safe in order stay on the market. Under current policy, the EPA can only call for safety testing after evidence surfaces demonstrating a chemical is dangerous. As a result, EPA has been able to require testing for just 200 of the more than 80,000 chemicals currently registered in the United States and has been able to ban only five dangerous substances. The new legislation will give EPA more power to regulate the use of dangerous chemicals and require manufacturers to submit information proving the safety of every chemical in production and any new chemical seeking to enter the market.
You can also let retailers know that you want them to switch to safer receipts via Twitter and Facebook.
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