You may realize that money is one of the grimiest things you handle daily. Think about it. It is passes from person to person daily. This means it is handled from one hand to another hand. Some of these hands will contain germs and bacteria. Yet, this isn’t all that money contains. Money also contains BPA.
If BPA sounds familiar it is the same chemical that was banned from baby bottles and sippy cups. It stands for bisphenol.
BPA is known as an endocrine disruptor. This means that it can act like a hormone in our body. It can cause behavioral and reproductive issues. BPA is known to effect children and babies quicker than it does adults. This is why this chemical was banned from baby bottles and sippy cups. The good news is that analysts say that only a small amount of BPA is usually absorbed into our skin.
The analysts studied over 156 types of paper money that came from over 21 countries. They found that the paper money that came from Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Australia had the highest levels of BPA. The United States had an average amount of BPA in their paper money. What do these findings mean to you?
They mean that you shouldn’t allow your children play with money, especially young children. You definitely don’t want to allow them to put this money into their mouths.
You also should try to wash your hands after handling large amounts of money. If you work with money, you may want to try to wash your hands during your breaks. Of course, if you are concerned with the idea of this chemical coming into contact with your skin, you can always wear protective gloves.
Next, analysts plan on studying the amounts of BPA found in such things as newspapers and toilet paper.
Sources:
webmd.com