Health Buzz: Paper Money Contaminated With BPA

I sent the following e-mail to the author and publicity person at the Washington Toxics Coalition, source of the press release on BPA and money.

Dear Ms Schreder and Ms Isager Rosenthal,

I just finished reading your full report, On the Money, BPA on Dollar Bills and Receipts. I am very distressed by the report's emphasis. My reading of the report leads me to believe there is significant possible danger, but not because of money. The danger lies with dust from the receipts and the greatest concentration of that dust is going to be around cash registers. Those with the greatest exposure will be cashiers. I'm guessing (but certainly don't know) that the BPA on money came from receipt dust generated as the receipts were printed and the dust fell into the cash drawer.

I'm requesting you issue a press release amplification relative to the danger being the receipts and those in possible danger being the cashiers. Your initial release garnered all the wrong attention, i.e. on money rather than receipts and drew scant attention to the possible danger to cashiers. While it was sexy and made a lot of publications, it was the epitome of both good PR and bad scientific writing. Written properly (but not as it is now), some retail chains might start planning on upgrading their current equipment to print out non-toxic receipts.

Over the next week I'll be perusing the major publications (Washington Post, NY Times, etc.) and if they've used your press release, I'll ask them to clarify information they published so the emphasis is on receipt dust and danger to those around receipt processing (cashiers). If you issue the press release I requested, I'll enclose it when I contact the publications. If I'm not able to do so, its less likely these publications will, in the future, use material received from you. That would be unfortunate as it appears (from your web site) that your organizational objectives are worthwhile.

The amplification I'm requesting will cause those receiving it to respect the integrity of your organization.

Bill Moseley of MD 3:10PM December 11, 2010