A physician on TikTok has gone viral after warning viewers against touching receipts. In the clip, which has amassed 3.6 million views, Dr. Tania Elliot (@drtaniaelliott) showed receipt paper to the camera before breaking down exactly why people shouldn’t touch it.
“Most receipts use thermal paper containing bisphenols or BPA, and they are easily absorbed into the bloodstream,” she explained. “These chemicals are toxic, and a study showed [that] 80% of receipts contain toxic BPA. What do these chemicals do to your body, they’re the famous hormone disruptors, which could impact fertility, hormone balance, and increased risk of certain cancers.”
“Now, I don’t want to be an alarmist here, but just opt for an email receipt,” she concluded.
The video amassed 3.6 million views. Elliot didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment and contact form.
What did commenters say?
“The real toxicity is the cost of groceries,” one quipped.
“I always go shopping with a pair of tongs because of this,” another revealed.
While a further commenter lamented that “everything seems to be dangerous.”
Several commenters also highlighted the fact that retail work meant that touching receipts was unavoidable.
“I’m literally a cashier,” one wrote.
“All staff working in stores are in danger” another added.
While a third asked, “I work as a cashier — am I cooked?”
However, not all cashiers were convinced that touching receipts was dangerous.
“I was a cashier for 15 years and nothing happen to me or to my workmates,” one remarked.
@drtaniaelliott Don’t touch this! ✋🏼 Most receipts use thermal paper containing bisphenols, or BPA, and they are easily absorbed into the bloodstream. ☠️These chemicals are toxic, and a study showed 80% of receipts contain toxic BPA. 🫁What do these chemicals do to your body? They’re the famous hormone disruptors, which could impact fertility, hormone balance, and increased risk of certain cancers. Instead just opt for an email receipt! 🧾 #doctor #receipt #didyouknow #learnontikok #toxic #hormoneimbalance ♬ original sound – drtaniaelliott
Are her claims true?
It’s worth noting that Elliot isn’t the only TikTok doctor who expressed concern about receipts. Dr. Paul Saladino (@paulsaladinomd2) recently went viral after flagging similar worries.
Echoing Elliot’s sentiments, he said, “These thermal paper receipts contain BPA and BPS. So, these are endocrine-disrupting chemicals. That can actually be absorbed through your skin.”
“So just touching one at a grocery store every once in a while isn’t the end of the world,” he concluded. “But, I would like to avoid as many endocrine disruptors in my life, thank you, as I can.”
But are receipts actually dangerous in this way? The Daily Dot was able to verify the 2023 study cited by Elliot as being from the Ecology Center’s Healthy Stuff Lab. The study claims that 80% of receipts contain BPA.
A further 2018 study by HealthyStuff.org found either BPA or a similar substance, Bisphenol S (BPS), in 93% of receipts. An additional study also highlights how BPA is what’s known as an endocrine disruptor, which, as the name implies, means that the chemical interferes with the body’s endocrinal/hormonal system. In addition to this, Healthline also reports that BPA might cause infertility, obesity, type two diabetes, heart disease, and a litany of cancers.
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The post ‘I work as a cashier am I cooked?’: Viewers torn after expert warns against touching paper receipts appeared first on The Daily Dot.
