The USEPA has issued a draft analysis of alternative chemicals that can be used instead of Bisphenol A (BPA) in thermal paper. According to EPA's Design for the Environmenet (DfE) program:
This draft report is an assessment of 19 chemical alternatives that may
substitute for BPA, which is used as a developer in thermal paper. In
addition, this report provides background information about how thermal
paper is made, and considerations for choosing an alternative. A
chemical's inclusion in the report does not constitute EPA endorsement.
This draft report does not identify functional chemicals with low
concern for all human health and environmental hazard endpoints; all of
the alternatives are associated with some trade-offs.
The focus on thermal paper is because it "is widely used for cash register receipts, airline
tickets, event and cinema tickets, and grocery store adhesive labels" and because this narrow focus was one area where alternatives exist. In addition, "workers in certain occupations, such as cashiers and
restaurant servers who handle thermal paper often, may be at greater
risk of exposure." Young children and teenagers entering the workforce may have especially high exposures. Concerns for BPA exposure include endocrine disruption and neurological changes.
The full 492-page PDF can be viewed or downloaded here.
The draft analysis can also be read online as smaller files here.
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