CALIFORNIA (MPG) - On Jan. 14, the nonprofit watchdog Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced new legal action against eight companies for exposing customers to Bisphenol S (BPS)–the lesser-known but also harmful chemical cousin to Bisphenol A (BPA)–in receipt paper.

Bisphenol S, like Bisphenol A, is a hormone-disrupting chemical that mimics estrogen and can disrupt the normal functioning of the body, including metabolism, growth and development and reproduction.

Bisphenol S was added to the list of chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and reproductive issues at the end of 2023, which allowed businesses a one-year grace period to ensure that their products either did not contain this chemical, or included a clear and reasonable warning for the presence of Bisphenol S. After Dec. 29, 2024, the Center for Environmental Health conducted testing to determine if receipt paper still included this chemical in levels that can harm human health and found eight companies in violation of California Proposition 65.

The retailers are Exxon, Walmart, Saks Off 5th, Aesop, Dick's Sporting Goods, Ross, Ace Hardware and Lowe's.

Previously, the Center for Environmental Health reached legal agreements with over 10 major retailers and suppliers of receipts, requiring that they remove Bisphenol A from their receipt thermal paper. While the receipts were reformulated to remove Bisphenol A, Center for Environmental Health’s recent investigation showed the presence of Bisphenol S.

“For more than two decades, CEH has ensured that companies and manufacturers that remove one toxic chemical from their products do not replace it with another toxic, regrettable substitute,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, CEO at Center for Environmental Health. “These companies have the opportunity to lead by improving their product specifications so that the receipt paper they purchase is safer for their workers and customers.”

In 2021, Center for Environmental Health co-created a certification program that highlights products–including thermal paper used for receipts–that do not contain harmful chemicals.

“Studies show that BPS, like BPA, can be absorbed through skin when handling receipt paper, even for short periods,” said Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, senior director of the Toxic Exposures and Pollution Prevent Program at Center for Environmental Health. “When companies know better, they must do better. We are calling on retailers to demand a healthier specification for receipt paper from their suppliers, and suppliers have an opportunity to meet this demand and certify their products under CEH and Clean Production Action’s standard.”

To reduce exposure to Bisphenol S, Center for Environmental Health recommends that whenever possible, consumers either decline receipts printed on thermal paper, or opt to receive receipts via email for their purchases. Store workers who must handle receipts should wear gloves if possible or avoid using alcohol-based hand cleaners before handling a receipt because it can significantly increase the absorption of Bisphenol S.