Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Skin Care and BPAs

Many people are aware of BPAs in plastic bottles, liners of aluminum water bottles and plastic bags. But did you know they are in store receipts, too?

Natural Foods Merchandiser reports:

"Although BPA had come under fire mainly for its presence in food packaging and baby bottles, the EWG reported that “the total mass of BPA on a receipt is 250 to 1,000 times greater than the amount of BPA typically found in a can of food or a can of baby formula.” What’s more, research revealed that BPA can be transferred from paper to skin quickly and easily and penetrate deep enough that it cannot be washed off. And, according to EWG senior scientist David Andrews, PhD, “study results indicate that short or infrequent contact with BPA paper is similar to multiple contacts with BPA paper. That said, people who have constant dermal exposure to BPA, such as cashiers, have BPA levels up to 30 percent higher than the average adult.”

(EWG is the Environmental Working Group)

New receipts are being used in many stores. To determine if they are BPA free look for red threads on the back. Otherwise..handle with care or better yet, gloves!

On a related note...at a recent festival I saw T-shirts being sold with recycled plastic in them. Sounds environmentally responsible, right? My initial thought was "what about the BPAs?" Now we know that exposure on the skin is far more detrimental than other exposures. Please be wary of these shirts when shopping.

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