# Duplicate Checks - Health Hazard?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duplicate-checks-health-hazard/602800>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 13, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duplicate-checks-health-hazard/602800 "2011-11-13T15:14:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Obdoakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Obdoakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obdoakes)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duplicate-checks-health-hazard/602800/1 "2011-11-13T15:14:11Z")

</div>

A friend is going to send a batch of new checks back to her bank because they are “duplicate checks” and she says the duplicate pages are covered in chemicals that get on your skin and cause health problem.

I have used duplicate checks for years and have never heard of this idea.

Does anyone know of research done on the possible health hazards of using duplicate checks?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duplicate-checks-health-hazard/602800/2 "2011-11-13T15:32:57Z")

</div>

Most of us in the business world have been dealing with carbonless invoices for years, which I presume are the same thing. I haven’t heard about anything. It they were causing health problems, you’d think they’d be pulled off the market by now considering how widespread they’re usage is.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duplicate-checks-health-hazard/602800/3 "2011-11-13T16:15:08Z")

</div>

[NIOSH Publication on carbonless copy paper.](http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2001-107/health.html)

What I’m seeing is casual contact is probably fine, just don’t go swimming in it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duplicate-checks-health-hazard/602800/4 "2011-11-14T00:29:45Z")

</div>

One warning about that “carbonless carbon paper” that some of you may have noticed –

**Do Not** attempt to write on it with a ball-point pen! It will _instantly_ ruin the pen.