Evaluating the efficiency of the 2020 ban of BPA and BPS in thermal papers in Switzerland.Thermal printing technology requires a color developer to activate the dye under the action of heat.  Due to concerns regarding their toxicity, the Swiss authorities have banned both BPA and BPS from thermal papers since 2020.  Whereas the use of BPA as color developer dropped from 82.2% in 2013/14 to 10.8% in 2021, the fraction of BPS-based thermal paper rose from 3.1% to 19.1% during the same period, despite being banned.  However, Pergafast® 201 (PF201) is now the main color developer in thermal paper in Switzerland, with an occurrence of 60.3%.  This study demonstrates the efficiency of the regulatory measure and the feasibility to substitute BPA in thermal papers with less-toxic alternatives.
THERM