The paper receipts we handle nearly every day are known to contain chemicals that could be harmful our health.<br />A new study shows that touching these receipts with bare hands doubles the risk of absorbing the harmful chemicals.<br />Park Se-young has more. <br /> Most paper receipts from stores and restaurants contain the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA.<br />Prolonged exposure to BPA can have hormone-like effects and may increase the risk of miscarriage.<br />This is why Europe has restricted the use of BPA in cash receipts since 2016, …and Korea has also been encouraging the use of digital receipts since last year.<br />Korean researchers recently studied urine samples of 54 middle-aged women who have been working as retail store cashiers for a median period of 11 years.<br /> They found that the average amount of BPA in their urine more than doubled when the cashiers worked with bare hands for two consecutive days. <br />When they worked with gloves, the BPA levels did not increase.<br />The researchers also found elevated insulin resistance in cashiers with high concentrations of BPA.<br />They suggest digital receipts as a safer option and recommend discarding paper receipts as soon as receiving them.<br /><br /> "The study shows that just wearing gloves can reduce occupational exposure to zero. Since ordinary people usually handle fewer receipts, there is no need to worry unnecessarily."<br /><br /> The study was published in the journal Environment International.<br />Park Se-young, Arirang News. <br />
