Do paper towels and napkins contain bisphenol chemicals that get on your hands?

What's actually in it

Paper products go through a complex manufacturing process that can introduce chemicals at several stages. Recycled paper is a common source: thermal receipt paper containing BPA or BPS gets mixed into the recycling stream and ends up in paper towels, napkins, and toilet paper. Even virgin paper can pick up bisphenol compounds from processing chemicals and inks. Every time you wipe your hands, dry your face, or use toilet paper, you're putting these chemicals in direct contact with your skin.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Front Public Health tested a wide range of paper products sold in Korea and measured levels of multiple bisphenol compounds including BPA, BPS, BPF, and other newer analogues. The researchers found bisphenols in paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, food wrapping paper, and other everyday items.

They then calculated how much bisphenol a person absorbs through skin contact during normal daily use. The numbers were small per individual use, but they add up across all the paper products you touch in a day: kitchen paper towels, napkins at meals, toilet paper, tissues, and paper food wrapping.

Bisphenols are endocrine disruptors. Even at low doses, they mimic estrogen and can interfere with hormone-driven processes including metabolism, reproduction, and brain development. The concern is the total daily dose from all sources combined.

Choosing unbleached, unrecycled paper products may reduce bisphenol content, since recycled paper is more likely to contain receipt paper residue. For food contact, cloth napkins and towels avoid the issue entirely.