You were probably just as surprised about this latest and very unusual source for Bisphenol A (BPA) -- the thermal paper used to produce receipts for cash registers, ATMs and gas pumps -- as we were and alarmed about how anyone could figure out, without a microscope, which scraps of paper contained this endocrine-disrupting chemical.

The problem may have been largely solved with the help of Appleton Papers, the leading producer of thermal paper in North America, and some excellent reporting by Janet Raloff of ScienceNews. Appleton may be the only manufacturer to date that has eliminated BPA from its thermal paper products (the company did so four years ago), but there was no way to tell just by looking at a receipt.

Starting this month, the company began producing thermal paper with noticeable and biodegradable red rayon fibers that look like tiny eyelash-like marks on the back. The rollout should be complete by spring 2011, unfortunately, not in time for Black Friday!

In the meantime, here's a very interesting finding from a study that measured BPA levels in 389 Cincinnati moms before and after their babies were born: Samplings from the 17 women who worked as cashiers had the highest urinary concentrations of BPA. Also, BPA levels were 20 percent greater among women exposed to active or secondhand smoke.

Environmental Health Perspectives October 8, 2010 Free Full Text PDF

Chemosphere October 27, 2010

ScienceNews November 8, 2010

ScienceNews November 2, 2010