BPA in Money: The reaction

Last week, we shared with you a report that found Bisphenol-A (BPA) on our receipts and the cash money in our wallets. This finding points to the ubiquity of BPA -- it's in our wallets, in our plastic, in our toilet paper, and in our dental sealants.

The report hit a nerve with Americans, and with many in the press. Here's a round-up of our favorite quotes.

The solution, short of going completely cashless and refusing all receipts, lies with Congress. The [Washington Toxics Coalition] and other groups are lobbying Capitol Hill to update the 34-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TCSA) to crack down on BPA and other commercial chemicals.

So how much of a stake do lawmakers have in taking action? The receipt from the House's cafe was indeed contaminated with BPA, but the Senate's, alas, was clean. If self-interest counts for anything in Washington — and often it seems to count for everything — that suggests that TCSA reform, like so much else, may wind up as one more law trapped in bicameral gridlock.

Jeffrey Kluger, Time Magazine.

Legislators in Sacramento and Feinstein should try again, frustrated as they are. The public's health should count for more than a powerful lobby.

San Francisco Chronicle op-ed regarding banning BPA.

If these researchers' findings are accurate, then BPA is an even thornier issue than previously thought -- if it's everywhere cash is, then, as the report points out, it's out of the consumer's control whether she or he comes into contact with the chemical. We can decide not to buy plastic bottles or aluminum cans that contain BPA. It's tougher to eschew money itself.

Brian Merchant, Treehugger.

So here's what would make my life a lot simpler. What if the government put the burden of proof on companies that use chemicals in their dishes, toys, receipts, and other products to make sure they're safe? As we've seen from recalls of cadmium-laced Shrek glasses to leaden kids' necklaces, that's not happening.

Jennifer Langston, Sightline Daily.

So you got rid of all #7 plastics, banned canned food from your kitchen, and even stopped taking cash register receipts, all in an effort to banish bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to cancer, sexual dysfunction, and all sorts of other human health problems. Well, unless you’re willing to get rid of all your cash, you’re not going to succeed in making your life BPA-free.

Siel Ju, Mother Nature News.

Researchers found that merely holding a receipt for 10 seconds produced traces of BPA on the skin. When the researchers actively rubbed the paper, the level of BPA on the skin was 15 times higher than when the receipt was merely held.

Granted, active receipt rubbing probably isn’t something you do very often, but women who have the habit of blotting lipstick on any available paper when they are on the run — you know who you are — should probably make a conscious effort to not use the cash register receipt.

Carla Fried, CBS MoneyWatch.