Study / Trial Background

We intend to conduct a pilot study designed to measure BPA levels before and after occupational exposure to thermal paper used in cash registers. We will recruit cashiers from a local commercial store that is currently still using BPA-laden thermal paper and plans to switch to BPA-free paper in the near future. The study uses a within-subject comparison design, using serum and urine samples to determine whether BPA is detectable in the study population at sufficient levels to measure differences in paired samples. Two phases of sample collection are proposed: Phase I - collecting paired samples on two separate occasions before the implementation of BPA-free thermal paper use in cash registers; and Phase II - collecting paired samples on two separate occasions after the implementation of this change in thermal paper.