Harmful Effects on the Environment
- Most organic things are biodegradable, but since Styrofoam is not organic it cannot biodegrade into the earth.
- the only way you can get rid of polystyrene foam is to incinerate it, which costs money and energy
- Takes up more space than paper, which the most infamous junk in the world
- In 1986 the EPA reported that the polystyrene manufacturing process was the 5th largest creator of hazardous wastes.
- When burned it releases harmful toxins in the air which can harm the ozone.
- expanded polystyrene foam can break into small pieces easily, therefore small animals can mistake it for food and choke on it.
- The National Bureau of Standards Center for Fire Research reported that 57 chemical by-products are released when polystyrene foam is being made .
- Polystyrene Foam takes more than 500 years to decompose.
- Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 expanded polystyrene foam cups; this enough to circle Earth 436 times.
- Polystyrene foam was found on 43 sites along Orange County coast in California.
- Styrofoam takes up petroleum, which lowers our fossil fuels.
- Polystyrene foam used to be made with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), but after scientists figured that CFCs were deadly to the ozone layer, they switched to using hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which does less damage to the ozone layer. Even though HFCs destroy the ozone layer less than CFCs, they still deplete 1-10% of the ozone layer
Harmful Effects on Humans
- About 90,000 workers are potentially exposed to styrene
- Health effects are irritation of the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal effects. Styrofoam can also post health problems because it gives off toxic chemicals in to food that could be contain.This can damage human health and reproduction.
- Chronic exposure affects the central nervous system showing symptoms such as depression, headache, fatigue, and weakness, and can cause minor effects on kidney function and blood. Styrene is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the EPA and by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
- Workers who make Styrofoam are also at a risk for benzene exposure, which causes anemia, excessive bleeding, and depression of the immune system in the long run. Its also known to cause leukemia, or blood cancer.
Harmful Components of Polystyrene Foam
Both types of polystyrene foam are a plastic made of Benzene, Styrene Monomer, and Ethylene. Benzene, being extracted from coal makes up 2% of U.S gasoline. 75% of all Benzene that is extracted, is used up to produce polystyrene foam. If anyone is exposed to large amounts of Benzene, it can cause sleepiness, dizziness, vomiting, can irritate the stomach, increase the heart rate, cause a coma, or even death. Benzene and Styrene Monomer are some of the main gases released when Polystyrene Foam is burned. Styrene Monomer, like Benzene, is also harmful. It can irritate you nose, eyes, and throat. When exposed to really large amounts of Styrene Monomer you could get brain or liver damage and you could possibly die. If you are exposed to low amounts of Styrene Monomer for a long period of time, it can cause memory problems, and have an adverse effects on you learning abilities. Styrene can cause cancer in animals, but not in humans. Ethylene is not toxic, but it is a hazardous substance because it tends to be very flammable in large quantities. It also, like other gasses, may cause frostbite in case of direct contact, and can make you unconscious.