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The one time to avoid hand sanitiser

<p>Do you ever use a squirt of hand sanitiser before you order your coffee or lunch at a café? If your hands have been sanitised just before you take your receipt, you could be exposing yourself to huge amounts of the chemical BPA.</p><p>Yes, the same chemical that we all look to avoid in our plastics (you can get BPA free drink bottles, ice cube trays and Tupperware now) is in the paper receipts that you handle every day.</p><p>Hand sanitiser is designed to break through the protective outer layers of your skin in order to be effective. But this means that your hands are also left exposed to chemicals, such as BPA.&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/03/microwave-safe-plastic/" target="_blank">Related link: Is it safe to microwave plastic containers?</a></span></strong></em></p><p>A study published in the Journal <em>PLoS One</em> showed that people who held a paper receipt after using some hand sanitiser had 185 times more BPA chemical on their hands, compared to people who held receipts but hadn’t used sanitiser. When their blood and urine samples were compared, the hand sanitiser users had much high levels of BPA in their systems.</p><p>If you’re wondering why we should be worried about exposure to BPA, it can actually increase the changes of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.</p><p>So, what is the best idea to avoid exposing yourself to the harsh chemical? Say “no thanks” to the receipt. If you happen to work in a shop that requires you to deal with receipts on a regular basis, it would be advisable to wear gloves.</p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/at-home/2015/03/the-right-way-to-shower/" target="_blank">Showering: are you doing it wrong?</a></span>&nbsp;</strong></em></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/at-home/2015/01/dirty-home-items/" target="_blank">5 surprisingly dirty things in your house?</a></span></strong></em></p><p><em><strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/at-home/2014/12/rid-household-smells/" target="_blank">How to banish 8 common household smells</a></span></strong></em></p>

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Is it safe to microwave in plastic containers?

<p>When heating up food in the microwave, many people consider it good practice to transfer from a plastic container to a glass or ceramic dish. Why? Because we know that both of those options are always safe from BPA.</p><p>If you’re a little confused about what people are worried about, you’re not alone. Although people are aware of BPA, and that they should probably avoid using plastics containing it, few know exactly what it is. Bisephenol (BPA) is a “plasticiser” (a substance added to a material to make it flexible, resilient and easier to handle) used to make hard, clear plastics. In 2012, the US FDA banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and drinking cups, but allows for a low level of exposure in adults.</p><p>So why are people worried about BPA? The theory is that it can leech into foods when the plastic is heated up in a microwave, although studies on how true this is have proved inconclusive. Food safety authorities around the world have their own stance on the presence of BPA, but most agree that humans’ exposure to the chemical should be limited.</p><p>The potentially negative effects of BPA exposure have tended to focus on pregnant women and young children, with fears of reproductive disorders, and lung problems in children. One study indicated that low-level doses of BPA exposure in children resulted in a greater risk for them to develop asthma later in life. Higher risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men has also been linked to low doses of BPA.</p><p>So with that in mind, is it safe to be heating your plastic containers in the microwave? The best answer is that you should look at the container itself. If the container is listed as “microwave safe” or includes a microwave icon on it, you should be fine. Pre-packaged snacks or meals that direct you to heat using the microwave are also safe. But it is important to note that a container may still contain BPA even if it is listed as “microwave safe”, and containers advertised as BPA-free may not be safe to use in the microwave.</p><p>If you’re feeling uneasy about plastics altogether, however, stick with glass and ceramics.</p><p><strong>Related links:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/02/things-you-should-throw-out/" target="_blank">You should probably throw out these things from around your house</a></span></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/02/dna-storage-system/" target="_blank">Could DNA be the next storage system for your tech devices?</a></span>&nbsp;</strong></em></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/02/guilt-free-foods/" target="_blank">These foods burn more calories than they contain</a></span></strong></em></p>

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