DETROIT -- Recent research done by the Environmental Working Group found Bisphenol-A in 40 percent of retail receipts tested.

Watch: Study Finds Dangerous Chemical On Receipts

BPA is chemical which mimics estrogen in the body. So, experts like Dr. Anila Jacob, senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, said when it gets into our bodies it can interfere with the natural chemistry. Tests have also linked BPA to cancer and other developmental problems in children and unborn babies.

The chemical has made headlines over the years because it has also been linked to contamination in baby bottles, infant formula, reusable plastic bottles, plastic food containers, and canned goods.

McDonald’s, WalMart, Whole Foods, CVS, KFC and the U.S. Postal Service were among the locations where receipts, printed on thermal paper, tested positive for BPA. The chemical is used on thermal paper to create the black ink.

There is limited research on exactly how much and how quickly BPA is absorbed into the skin. But, Jacob said there is evidence showing it can be absorbed, “they found that once the BPA was on the skin they couldn't extract all the BPA they thought was on the skin back out again and that's suggests that maybe some of that BPA got absorbed into the body,” Jacob said.

Receipts from retailers like Target and Starbucks did not test positive for BPA. In fact 60 percent of the receipts the Environmental Working Group tested showed no sign of BPA contamination. That’s why Jacob believes it should be easy for retailers to make a simple switch to BPA-free thermal paper.

Some retailers which showed contamination on their receipts have already responded to the Environmental Working Group. “Whole Foods has actually reached out to us they are concerned they want to try to decrease the use of this thermal paper with the BPA in it and we are hopeful that our other retailers that were found to be using this type of paper will switch to using BPA-free paper,” Jacob said.

Dr. Anila Jacob said while not every American may know as much about BPA as they do about chemicals like Mercury and Lead, almost all Americans tested have BPA in their blood, “we know that CDC has found BPA in over 90 percent of Americans that they tested,” Jacob said.

For more information on the Environmental Working Group’s study on BPA contamination on receipts, click here.

For more information on the Environmental Working Group, click here.

For more information on Bisphenol-A from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, click here.