Thermal paper contains BPA? Are thermal printers really that dangerous?

Web transfer thermal paper contains BPA. What is thermal paper? What is BPA? Do thermal printers still work? Come and talk to you today about these things.

How does thermal paper develop color?
Thermal paper is widely used. The most common one is the receipts we usually print in supermarkets and convenience stores. It is coated with a layer of thermal paint on ordinary paper. This layer of thermal paint is mainly composed of leuco dyes and developer. The color developer is BPA. When the temperature reaches above 70°C, the leuco dye and the developer begin to react, and the paper will gradually develop color, and the heating process is completed in the printer.

What is BPA?
BPA, also known as BPA, has been rejected by the European Union and North America in the past 10 years, mainly because it is a typical endocrine disruptor, has estrogen-like effects, and will affect the reproductive development of the human body, especially infants. This is very similar to what we often say about phthalates. BPA was often used on baby bottles and food containers before, so the European Union and the United States have banned the use of BPA on food containers such as baby bottles.

Do portable printers still work?
Practice is the only criterion for testing the truth. We purchased a Miaomiao machine from the official flagship store and two matching papers. The difference between the papers lies in the length of time for taking pictures and the weight of the paper, because the national standard for thermal paper is GB/T28210- In 2011, there is no BPA-related bill, so we refer to the EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency/Agency) method to test the BPA contained in thermal paper.

It can be seen that BPA does exist in thermal paper, but there is no suitable standard value for reference. We simply simulate the actual scene to calculate. Generally, the parts that normally contact thermal paper are fingers, and the area of the belly of the finger is about 5cm. Calculated according to the paper of 58g/m², the weight of the paper contacted is 0.029g. If all the BPA in the contacted paper completely migrates to the skin with sweat, it will migrate about 0.029*4.8, which is 0.1392μg. The time for sensitive paper is not long, will BPA all migrate? Some literature points out that about 30% of BPA migrates to the skin in the case of contact for a few seconds. Therefore, 0.1392μg*0.3 is a migration of 0.04176μg.

Of course, this is only an estimate. At present, there is no complete consensus on BPA from all walks of life in the world. Therefore, it is recommended to minimize the contact area when using it. You must wash your hands frequently after use, especially before meals. This is a very good habit.