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The Effect of Using Styrofoam

Construction industries, mail services and others use Styrofoam, the commercial name of a petroleum-based product called polystyrene, as insulating material in houses, as packing material for shipments and to make cups for hot beverages. Despite its high utility, however, the harmful effects of polystyrene on your health and the environment have brought Styrofoam products under scrutiny.

  1. Overall Health Effects

    • Styrene, which is the basic structural unit of Styrofoam is known to cause gastrointestinal complications and irritation of the skin, eyes and the upper respiratory tract. Long exposure to Styrofoam affects the central nervous system. Workers employed in industries that make Styrofoam-based products have reported suffering from headaches, fatigue and depression, all of which are symptoms of an impaired nervous system. Styrofoam also has minor effects on the functioning of the kidneys and the vascular system.

    Reproductive Health Effects

    • Women working in industries that use Stryofoam, have been observed to undergo a higher-than-normal rate of spontaneous abortions. However, due to lack proper data, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not draw any conclusive correlation between these incidents and exposure to Styrofoam. Studies on animals also do not indicate that Styrofoam affects reproductive performance of organisms.

    Cancer

    • International Agency for Research on Cancer in France has classified styrene as a possible carcinogen for humans. Studies and observations based on individuals working in plants using styrene indicate that these individuals are at a higher risk of suffering from leukemia and lymphoma than people employed elsewhere. However, the EPA does not confirm carcinogenic effects of styrene due to the presence of other chemical contaminants in the environments of the subjects studied.

    Environmental Pollution

    • Hydrocarbons that are released during the manufacture of Styrofoam combine with nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere and form tropospheric ozone close to earth's surface. Exposure to ozone causes chest pain, coughing, wheezing and other respiratory problems. As per EPA, California, the Texas Gulf Coast, the Chicago-Milwaukee area, and the northeastern US have poor air quality due to high amounts of hydrocarbons released from plants producing Styrofoam goods.

    Food Contamination

    • Styrene enters the human body through food kept in Styrofoam cups and plates. Higher fat content and reheating food in Styrofoam containers are two factors that have been found to accelerate contamination of food with styrene.

    Waste and Recycling

    • Styrofoam is non-biodegradable. Although technology for recycling Styrofoam is available, most recycling units refuse to accept Styrofoam goods due to the high costs involved with the procedure. However, with ongoing developments in the field of biodegradable polymers, an environment-friendly substitute for Styrofoam seems to be on the anvil.

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