BPA Cancer Risk in Receipts, Plastics and Canned Foods

Author: Thomas C. Weiss
Published: 3 Jun 2015 - Updated: 29 Sep 2026
Publication Type: Informative

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This information looks at bisphenol A, better known as BPA, a synthetic compound used to make clear, tough polycarbonate plastics and the epoxy resins that line food and beverage cans, water pipes, and the thermal paper used for sales receipts. It explains how BPA's estrogen-like behavior raises concern for hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer and outlines research tying low-level exposure during development to a higher risk of prostate cancer later in life, a study that used human stem cells implanted in mice and was described by a North Carolina State University researcher as some of the strongest evidence yet linking early-life BPA exposure to cancer. The numbers put the issue in context - more than 90 percent of Americans carry traces of BPA, about 15 percent of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and diet is the main route of exposure, with a 2009 Health Canada study finding measurable BPA in most canned soft drinks it tested. The material also notes that a 2010 U.S. Food and Drug Administration report flagged possible hazards to fetuses, infants, and young children, making it useful reading for expectant parents, caregivers, seniors, and anyone managing cancer risk or a chronic health condition.*

At a Glance

• 1 - Receipts coated with BPA should not be recycled, since the chemical can spread into toilet paper and napkins.
• 2 - The number seven recycling code may signal BPA unless the plastic is also marked PLA or carries a leaf symbol.
• 3 - BPA works as a weak synthetic estrogen that can block or mimic natural hormones and upset the body's hormonal balance.
• 4 - A 2011 study found pregnant women with high urinary BPA levels were more likely to have daughters showing depression, hyperactivity, and anxiety. These signs appeared in girls as young as three.

Topic Definition

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Bisphenol A, commonly called BPA, is a synthetic industrial chemical used mainly to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It is found in hard plastic containers and water bottles, the protective linings of food and drink cans, some dental sealants, and the heat-sensitive coating on many paper receipts. BPA acts as a weak synthetic estrogen, which makes it an endocrine or hormone disruptor that can mimic or block the body's natural hormones. People are exposed mostly through food and drink that have absorbed the chemical from packaging, as well as through skin contact, and research has linked exposure to hormone-related health concerns including certain cancers and effects on fetal and early childhood development.

Overview

What is BPA?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a carbon-based synthetic compound with the chemical formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2 belonging to the group of diphenylmethane derivatives and bisphenols, with two hydroxyphenyl groups. BPA is employed to make certain plastics and epoxy resins. BPA-based plastic is clear and tough, and is made into a variety of common consumer goods, such as water bottles, sports equipment, CDs, and DVDs. Epoxy resins containing BPA are used to line water pipes, as coatings on the inside of many food and beverage cans and in making thermal paper such as that used in sales receipts.

Depending on where a person lives and works, they are likely to be exposed to a number of plastic products each day. Beverage and food containers, toiletry bottles and some disposable plates are made from plastic and all are made from chemicals. Research suggests that all plastics might leach chemicals if they are heated or scratched. Research also strongly suggests that at a certain level of exposure, some of the chemicals in these products such as, 'bisphenol A (BPA),' might cause cancer. BPA is a weak synthetic estrogen found in:

• Dental sealants
• Several rigid plastics
• Food and formula can linings
• The shiny side of paper cashier receipts

Its estrogen-like activities makes it a hormone disruptor, as with a number of other chemicals in plastics.

Hormone disruptors may affect how estrogen and other hormones behave in a person's body, by blocking or mimicking them; something that throws off the body's hormonal balance. Due to the fact that estrogen can make hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer develop and grow, a number of women choose to limit their exposure to these particular chemicals which may act like estrogen.

BPA also appears to affect the development of a person's brain while they are in the womb. A study from 2011 found that pregnant women with high levels of BPA in their urine were more likely to have daughters who presented with signs of depression, hyperactivity, as well as anxiety.

The symptoms were found in girls as young as three years of age. It remains unclear why boys are not affected in the same way.

Avoiding BPA and Chemical Exposure

While it is likely impossible to completely avoid every single plastic product, try to use as little plastic as you can. If you are pregnant this is especially true. Never use plastic around food. In order to reduce your exposure to BPA and other chemicals:

• Baby Bottles: Use baby bottles with labels that read, 'BPA free.'
• Water Bottles: Carry your own steel, ceramic, or glass water bottle to fill with water.
• Canned Food: Cut back on how much canned food you consume and how much canned formula your baby consumes.
• Examine the Number: Look closely at plastics with a number seven recycling symbol on the bottom of them. If the plastic does not also say, 'PLA,' or have a leaf symbol, it might contain BPA.
• Store Receipts: Avoid handling carbon-less copy cash register receipts. If you receive a carbon-less receipt, do not recycle it. Recycling of receipts with BPA in them may spread the BPA to additional products made with recycled paper, to include toilet paper and napkins.

Avoiding Exposure to Additional Chemicals in Plastics

Awareness and the use of containers that are not plastic can help you to avoid exposure to additional chemicals in plastics. To reduce your level of exposure to other chemicals in plastics:

• Cooking Food: Do not cook food in plastic containers, or use steaming/roasting bags. The plastic residues might leach into your food when you heat it in either a microwave or regular oven.
• Pots, Pans and Containers: Use porcelain, glass, stainless steel, or enamel-covered metal pans, pots and containers for your food and beverages when you can, particularly if the food or drink is hot.
• Take Time to View the Number: Plastics with recycling symbols two, four and five are commonly considered to be alright to use. Plastics with recycling symbol seven are ok as well - as long as they also say, 'PLA,' or have a leaf symbol on them. The recycling symbol number is the code that shows what type of plastic was used in order to make the product.
• Plastics with recycling symbol one are also alright to use, although they should not be used more than a single time. Keep all plastic containers out of the sunshine and heat.

Prostate Cancer and BPA's

Low level exposure to bisphenol A during development might make men more susceptible to prostate cancer later on in life according to one study. The study, which uses a new model of implanting human stem cells into mice, is the first to link early-life BPA exposure to prostate cancer. It adds to a growing body of research that suggests exposure to even low levels of BPA alters cells and may lead to diseases later in a person's life.

Heather Patisaul, a researcher from North Carolina State University stated;

"Overall I think this is some of the strongest and most convincing evidence to date linking early-life BPA exposure and cancer. They were careful to make the exposures human relevant, used cells derived from healthy humans and replicated physiological conditions seen in aging men."

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in American men. Approximately 15% of men will face a diagnosis of prostate cancer in their lifetime. Greater than 90% of all Americans have traces of BPA in their bodies. Previous studies suggest there is universal exposure to children in the womb.

Bisphenol A (BPA) Facts and Statistics

World production capacity of BPA compound was 1 million tons in the 1980s, and more than 2.2 million tons in 2009. In 2003, U.S. consumption was 856,000 tons, 72% of which used to make polycarbonate plastic and 21% going into epoxy resins.[9] In the U.S., less than 5% of the BPA produced is used in food contact applications, but remains in the canned food industry and printing applications such as sales receipts.

• BPA exhibits hormone-like properties that raise concern about its suitability in some consumer products and food containers.
• A 2010 report from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified possible hazards to fetuses, infants, and young children.
• Plastic packaging is split into seven broad classes for recycling purposes by a Plastic identification code. As of 2014 there are no BPA labeling requirements for plastics in the US. In general, plastics that are marked with Resin Identification Codes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are very unlikely to contain BPA. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with the Resin Identification Code 7 may be made with BPA.
• The major human exposure route to BPA is diet, including ingestion of contaminated food and water.
• A 2009 Health Canada study found that the majority of canned soft drinks it tested had low, but measurable levels of bisphenol A.
• One often overlooked source of exposure occurs when a pregnant woman is exposed, thereby exposing the fetus.

List of Types of Cancer and Tumors

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What are BPA substitutes like BPS and BPF, and are they safer?

BPS and BPF are related bisphenol chemicals often used in products labeled BPA free. Research suggests they can have similar hormone-disrupting effects, so a BPA free label does not always mean a product is free of all bisphenol concerns.

Can BPA be absorbed through the skin?

Yes. Studies show BPA on thermal receipt paper can transfer to the fingers and be absorbed through the skin, and absorption may increase when hands are wet, greasy, or recently treated with hand sanitizer or lotion.

How long does BPA stay in the body?

BPA is processed fairly quickly and most of it leaves the body in urine within about a day. Because exposure happens repeatedly through food, drink, and handling products, most people carry measurable levels at any given time.

Is there a test to measure BPA levels in the body?

BPA is usually measured through urine testing, which is mainly used in research studies. Routine testing is not commonly offered by doctors because levels change quickly and there are no set clinical guidelines for interpreting the results.

Has BPA been banned in baby bottles?

Yes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration stopped allowing BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups in 2012, and Canada and the European Union have also restricted its use in baby bottles.

Do glass jars with metal lids contain BPA?

The glass itself does not contain BPA, but the inner coating of some metal lids may. Choosing jars with lids labeled BPA free or limiting contact between the food and the lid can help reduce exposure.

Does BPA affect male fertility?

Some studies have linked higher BPA levels with lower sperm quality and changes in reproductive hormones in men. The evidence is still developing, but it adds to concerns about BPA acting as a hormone disruptor.

Are some people more vulnerable to BPA exposure than others?

Fetuses, infants, and young children are considered most vulnerable because their bodies and hormone systems are still developing. Pregnant women, people with hormone-sensitive cancers, and workers who handle receipts all day may also want to take extra care to limit exposure.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: BPA is hard to escape entirely, but everyday choices make a real difference in how much of it reaches the body. Heat and scratching are what push chemicals out of plastic, so the most useful habits are also the simplest - skip microwaving food in plastic containers, avoid roasting and steaming bags, and switch to glass, stainless steel, porcelain, or enamel-coated cookware, especially for hot food and drinks. Keeping plastic out of direct sun, using single-use bottles only once, and cutting back on canned foods and canned infant formula all lower exposure further. These steps matter most for pregnant women and families with young children, but they are just as practical for older adults and people with disabilities who rely on packaged or prepared foods, since reducing exposure at home costs little and does not depend on waiting for stricter labeling rules.*

Author Credentials: Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursuing Disability Studies. As a CNA Thomas has provided care for people with all forms of disabilities. Explore Thomas' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.