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The chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) has recently been a popular subject in the news, with more and more evidence of its dangerous side effects to children and adults. BPA has always been a source of concern for researchers looking into its effects on adults and children. But, a recent discovery of BPA on regular store receipts have people worried about the actual prevalence of this chemical in every day life. Although there may not be any scientific evidence proving BPA's negative effects on the body, many studies and research reports have revealed that BPA has some form of effect on the body.

BPA, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not banned from being used in products despite people's request, is a chemical ingredient used in making plastic bottles, containers, and other kinds of packaging. Although these are the most common BPA-contaminated products, researcher, Dr. Frederick Vom Saal from the University of Missouri-Columbia stated that receipts are comprised of at least 50 percent BPA.

"All kinds of thermal paper is coated with this chemical. And people go into a fast food restaurant, touch this paper, and touch their food and they expose themselves to huge quantities of this chemical," Dr. Vom Saal commented.

Dr. Vom Saal and his colleagues' concern over BPA exposure does not end at store receipts. They are also worried about the presence of BPA in school. Although the FDA states that the exposure is below safe levels, the researchers are worried that people are miscalculating those levels since BPA may be present in objects that no one knows about since the FDA does not ask industries to inform them when they use BPA.

Therefore, BPA can be present in items that people and children come across every single day. A recent study just linked BPA exposure to childhood asthma. The dangers of BPA exposure also include birth defects and complications of the central nervous system. Until the FDA decides to regulate how BPA is being used, the dangers of the chemical and the levels of exposure cannot be fully known.