Detection of Endocrine Disruptor Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S in Bangladeshi Thermal Paper Receipts

Bisphenol analogues such as bisphenol A (BPA), a high production volume chemical identified as an endocrine disruptor and toxic to reproduction, are mainly used in thermal receipt papers as a color developer. Due to its effects on health and legal restrictions, BPA is increasingly replaced by other bisphenols such as Bisphenol S (BPS). In this study, BPA and 4 alternatives including BPS, Bisphenol F (BPF), Bisphenol B (BPB), and Bisphenol AF (BPAF) were analyzed in thermal paper cash receipts using a sensitive LC-MS/MS method. The cash receipts contained almost only BPA and BPS, whereas BPA was found in 67.5% of the samples at a concentration ranging from 0.83% to 1.71%. BPS was detected at lower concentrations than BPA, found in 25% of samples at a concentration ranging from 0.61% to 0.96%. Both of the substances exceeded the EU limit in the thermal receipt paper of 0.02% per weight. No other analogues were detected from any of the samples analyzed here. As the levels identified are higher than the legal limits of the EU regulations, we should develop regulatory rules and restrictions on the use of bisphenols in cash receipts in Bangladesh.