Can thermal paper receipts deliver BPA through your skin into your bloodstream?

What's actually in it

Thermal paper used for store receipts, ATM slips, and parking tickets contains a coating of BPA or BPS that reacts to heat to create the print. When you handle receipts, these chemicals transfer to your fingers. From there, they're absorbed through your skin and enter your bloodstream. Wet or lotioned hands absorb even more.

What the research says

A 2026 study in J Pak Med Assoc examined how much BPA gets absorbed through the skin from handling thermal paper receipts. The study found that dermal absorption of BPA from receipts is an alarming and overlooked hazard, especially for cashiers and other workers who handle receipts all day.

Even brief handling transfers measurable BPA to your skin. Hand sanitizer and lotions increase absorption by breaking down the skin barrier and dissolving the BPA coating. People who touch receipts right after using hand sanitizer absorb the most.

Decline paper receipts when possible and choose digital options. If you must handle receipts, wash your hands with soap and water, not sanitizer, afterward. Store receipts separately from food.