Styrofoam used for packaging and for serving food can harm the environment and human health.
According to the Earth Resource Foundation, Styrofoam is the trade name for a polystyrene foam product made of styrene, the "biggest environmental health concern associated with polystyrene." Products made of Styrofoam, a lightweight product often used in housing insulation, a contain harmful toxins. Exposure to the chemicals associated with Styrofoam and the products used to create it can cause health problems, and the products themselves create environmental hazards.
Uses
Despite the risks associated with it, Styrofoam has many uses in everyday life. It can be used for items from drinking cups to protection for shipping fragile items. Styrofoam also can be found in products such as CD cases and eating utensils, according to an article on HaysFreePress.com. Products that use Styrofoam are marked with a No. 6, the article reports.
Why it Is Toxic
Products made of Styrofoam release chemicals that can contaminate food, the Earth Resource Foundation website explains. Heating or microwaving Styrofoam products is especially dangerous; chemicals can leak into food, which is harmful to your health.
Health Effects
The styrene part of Styrofoam has other uses, including in the manufacturing of plastics. People who work with styrene on a regular basis are at risk for exposure to its harmful chemicals and can experience a variety of symptoms caused by the toxins, such as depression and weakness. Other health effects associated with styrene include eye irritation and gastrointestinal effects. Long-term effects of exposure to these chemicals include headache, fatigue and "minor effects on kidney function and blood," according to the Earth Resource Foundation website. Exposure to the chemicals in Styrofoam also can cause damage to reproductive systems.
Environmental Effects
Styrofoam has many risks associated with it, as does the process of creating polystyrene. According to the Earth Resource Foundation, the process "pollutes the air and creates large amounts of liquid and solid waste." Styrofoam products take up room in landfills or are littered about the environment, which may lead to animals choking on small pieces. Styrofoam can be recycled; however, the foundation reports that "the market for recycling is very small and shrinking."
Alternatives
Countries such as Taiwan and states such as Portland have outlawed the use of polystyrene foam. Recycled paper and corn plastics can be used as alternatives; such environmentally friendly options can biodegrade when composted. The use of alternatives eliminates the risk of health effects due to exposure and helps the environment by decreasing the amount of Styrofoam left in landfills.
