Cash Register Receipts Make Liberal Males Sissified Queers

[Sebof]

Chronic exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) may lower
testosterone levels in men, a new study from China suggests.

In the study, men who were exposed to BPA because they worked in
a chemical plant for at least six months had lower levels of
testosterone in their blood compared with those who worked in a
tap water factory.

Specifically, chemical plant workers had reduced levels of
"free" testosterone, which is the form thought to have the
greatest influence on the body. (Most testosterone in the body
is not "free," but is bound to a protein.)

The findings provide even more evidence that BPA may change
men's sex hormone levels, said study researcher Dr. De-Kun Li, a
senior research scientist at Kaiser Permanente's Division of
Research in Oakland, Calif.

Previous studies, also conducted on Chinese factory workers,
have suggested that BPA may lower sperm counts as well as
increase the risk of sexual dysfunction in men -- health effects
that are controlled in part by sex hormones.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/bpa-testosterone-
bisphenol-a-_n_3246042.html

There’s no longer much doubt that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA)
poses some health risks, both physically and behaviorally. It’s
been linked to cancer, diabetes, reproductive problems, and
behavioral problems in children. The chemical has been banned in
sippy cups and bottles, and advocates have petitioned for its
ban in adult products, too. The problem is that it seems to be
everywhere: In plastic bottles, the lining of tin cans, in
dental fillings, and in cash register receipt paper. And this
last source was the main interest of a new study in the journal
PLOS ONE. The authors tested people’s BPA levels before and
after they’d handled receipt paper – and eaten with BPA-
contaminated fingers – and were a little alarmed by what they
found. Whether it’s really cause for concern remains to be seen.

“Our research found that large amounts of BPA can be transferred
to your hands and then to the food you hold and eat as well as
be absorbed through your skin,” said lead author Frederick vom
Saal. “BPA exhibits hormone-like properties and has been proven
to cause reproductive defects in fetuses, infants, children and
adults as well as cancer, metabolic and immune problems in
rodents. BPA from thermal papers will be absorbed into your
blood rapidly; at those levels, many diseases such as diabetes
and disorders such as obesity increase as well.”

In the new study, vom Saal and his team had people come into the
lab and handle receipt paper. Some of the participants used hand
sanitizer before doing so, which, like sunscreen and lotions, is
known to make skin super-absorbent. As an added real-world task,
some of the participants also ate French fries with their BPA-
contaminated fingers. BPA levels were measured in skin, urine,
and blood before and after the different treatments.

The team found that 45 seconds of handling the receipt paper
made BPA levels on the skin jump up to 581 ug BPA (just 2
seconds of handling the papers transferred 40% of the total
amount). The levels went down to 73% of the maximum after 4
minutes, possibly because it was being absorbed into the skin.

When the team measured BPA levels in the urine or in the blood
serum of the participants 90 minutes after handling the
receipts, their levels were also higher, at 20 mg BPA/g
creatinine: This is as high, the authors say, as the levels
previous studies have shown to be linked with heart risk and
type 2 diabetes risk. The differences were greater in women than
in men, for reasons that aren’t totally clear.

Although the study was quite small and more research will be
needed, it may be worth passing up store receipts, if you can
help it. The issue may be more of a concern for cashiers, who
handle receipts all day long, and who may regularly use hand
sanitizer to protect against illness.

“Store and fast food receipts, airline tickets, ATM receipts and
other thermal papers all use massive amounts of BPA on the
surface of the paper as a print developer,” says vom Saal. “The
problem is, we as consumers have hand sanitizers, hand creams,
soaps and sunscreens on our hands that drastically alter the
absorption rate of the BPA found on these receipts.”

The EPA also did a recent study on BPA and possible alternatives
for use in thermal printing paper, the authors point out. The
EPA’s conclusion was that no safer alternatives to BPA exist at
present, and that ‘‘decision makers may wish to consider
alternative printing systems.”

Unfortunately, although past research has shown similar results,
it will probably take a few more studies and a few more years
before the current practices are changed. There’s a lot of
debate about whether the BPA we take in from food containers and
store receipts is really high enough to affect our health, and
lead to disease. But just to be sure, if you’re worried, just
say “no thanks” when anyone asks if you want a receipt. And if
they try to push a receipt on you, run. But don’t forget to
explain the findings of the new study to the cashier before you
do.

Follow me @alicewalton or find me on Facebook.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/10/22/cash-
register-receipts-may-be-a-source-of-bpa-study-suggests/