Touching the receipt with bare hands can cause 'obesity'

 The habit of touching receipts and waiting tables often with bare hands can have an adverse effect on your health.

This is because of Bisphenol A (BPA) which is a representative environmental hormone (endocrine disruptor) in receipts and plastics. Endocrine disruptors replace hormones with similar structures in the human body, causing various diseases such as reproductive function problems, cancer and brain tumors.

A commonly used heat-reducing receipt is engraved with letters in such a way that colors appear at the point when heated on the paper. Bisphenol A is a chemical coated on the surface of the thermal paper, which penetrates into the human body through the skin only with simple contact.

According to the U.S. environmental group In vitro Mental Working Group (EWG), the amount of bisphenol A in a single receipt is hundreds of times more than that from canned drinks or milk bottles.
Overseas studies have shown that touching a receipt with a lotion can be absorbed better, or that Bisphenol A is absorbed through the hand, it stays in the body longer.

Recently, related research has been active in Korea. In May, a team led by Choi Kyung-ho, a professor at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Health, released a study that found that the body concentration of Bisphenol A doubles just by touching the receipt with bare hands. The survey is based on a survey of 54 middle-aged female cashiers who have worked at the mart for an average of 11 years. On the other hand, the concentration of bisphenol A when working with gloves was not much different before and after work.

In addition to receipts, Bisphenol A is also used for cans, cans and water bottles. Bisphenol A is the main ingredient in polycarbonate and epoxy resin. Polycarbonate material refers to transparent, hard plastic or smooth plastic with gloss. Due to its strong heat resistance, it was used in milk bottles and food containers in the past. Epoxy resin is used as a canning can, and as an internal coating agent for some aluminum water bottles.



Recently, a study found that exposure to Bisphenol A increases the possibility of obesity among women and those in their 30s and 40s.

According to a paper published in the Journal of the Korea Environmental Health Association in August, researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Research confirmed that there is a link between exposure to Bisphenol A and an increase in the BMI.

Based on previous research that bisphenol A and others may affect endocrine systems, the researchers analyzed urine, bisphenol A concentrations and BMI in 6123 adults aged 19 or older between 2012 and 2014.

As the concentration of bisphenol A in urine increased throughout the study, the BMI also increased significantly. In particular, the correlation between Bisphenol A concentration and BMI in women's urine was very high. By age group, those in their 30s and 40s were most affected by Bisphenol A.

The researchers described the results as a reaffirmation of the possibility that Bisphenol A acts as an obisogen.

Worldwide, there is a movement to minimize Bisphenol A exposure. In September, the European Commission adopted a regulation limiting the amount of bisphenol A in plastic food containers. The maximum allowance was reduced to less than one-tenth (0.6 mg/kg→0.05 mg/kg), and the use of plastic water bottles and cups for infants under 3 years of age was prohibited.

Experts said, "The average person should avoid clothing pockets or wallets that come into contact with their hands frequently even if they don't receive or store receipts," adding, "In the case of cashiers handling receipts, the exposure of Bisphenol A can be reduced almost by wearing gloves."