Exposure to bisphenol chemicals — including BPA and its replacements BPS and BPF — were responsible for over 127 million cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome globally in 2024.

A major route of exposure is through the skin — via receipts. Touching a receipt for just 10 seconds can cause the skin to absorb enough bisphenols to violate California’s safety threshold. 

A first-in-the-nation ban on bisphenols in receipts just took effect in Washington State. Washington has led the nation in protecting its residents from exposure to toxic chemicals since passing the Safer Products for Washington Act in 2019.

There’s still much work to be done. Contrary to the promise bisphenols would be phased out of food and beverage containers and baby products, a new study just found them in pacifiers—even those advertised as BPA-free! 

Every state in the nation should pass a Safer Products Act and start phasing out bisphenols, phthalates, pesticides, and PFAS, the toxic chemicals that drive up to $3 trillion each year in health-related costs.

Bisphenols are potent endocrine disruptors with estrogen-like effects that are making us fat and sick.

Scientists monitored bisphenol exposure in 3,138 children and adolescents over a fifteen year period from 2005 to 2020. Researchers collected detailed food consumption diaries, blood biomarkers, and urine samples and, after adjusting for diet and energy intake, they found that bisphenol exposure predicted diabetes and obesity.

The youngest children in that study were 4 years old, but there is evidence from other research that the health damage of bisphenols begins before birth.

Rat pups were exposed to levels of bisphenols in the womb that matched typical human exposures considered safe by regulators. At maturity, they had long-term genetic changes that differed by sex. Females were masculinized, and males were feminized. Both had health problems. Females progressed toward cancer; males to diabetes and heart disease.

 The changes in female rats matched patterns associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): reduced glucose levels, elevated insulin levels, increased testosterone activity, and fertility challenges. The results corroborated previous human studies finding women with higher levels of bisphenols in their blood are also more likely to have PCOS.

Bisphenols harm our brains — even when exposed as adults. Bisphenols can exert neurological effects, causing aggression, anxiety, cognitive deficits, learning-memory impairment, or behavioral problems, manifesting as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, or depression. Most of the research has been done on early life exposure and neurobehavioral development, but scientists recently discovered that biphenols can induce hyperactivity and abnormal reward feedback in adult mice. This happens because bisphenols disrupt dopamine, making it a problem for humans as well as mice.

Bisphenols destroy gut health — even when exposed in the womb. Bisphenol exposure decreases microbial diversity and damages the intestines.

With all of the health problems bisphenols are linked to, the ultimate risk of exposure is death. People with the highest levels of bisphenols in their urine have a 49% higher risk of all-cause mortality than those with the lowest levels. 

Until bisphenols are completely banned, you can avoid exposure by handling thermal paper receipts and tickets as little as possible. Don’t use lotions or hand sanitizers before touching receipts. Afterwards, wash your hands before eating. If you work in a setting where you must handle receipts frequently, wear nitrile gloves.

While bisphenols are being phased out of food and beverage containers, they’re still found in plastics marked with recycling code number 7. Like all plastics, number 7s are best avoided. Never microwave them or put them in the dishwasher.

People who work and live in communities where plastics are produced are the hardest hit victims of bisphenol pollution.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your State Legislators to Ban Toxic Bisphenols!