So does a National Toxicological Program report on carcinogens page 1 which classifies styrene as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" and being linked to occurrence of leukemia and lymphoma cancer.
Though the Environmental Protection Agency EPA report on styrene does not yet classify it as carcinogenic, it lists many occupational hazards for those who are exposed regularly in the manufacture of products made with styrene. Some of the acute health effects experienced include irritation of the skin, eyes, and the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal effects.
The EPA report says chronic exposure to styrene leads to further complications, including adverse effects on the nervous and respiratory systems, and possibly the kidney and liver, as well as other issues. It also caused increased spontaneous abortions in women.
Contact with liquid styrene during the manufacturing process can lead to first degree burns according to an NIH report. Food in Styrofoam containers can be contaminated by chemicals that leach into the food, affecting human health and the reproductive systems. This is accentuated if people reheat the food while still in the container.
A research study shows that styrene can leach out from EPS. Even the American Chemistry Council admits that there is transmission of styrene from Styrofoam to food , albeit in minute quantities. So people using Styrofoam do get contaminated by styrene, and can suffer from its health impacts. As the NIH report points out, containers are only one way that styrene can get into human bodies.
Air pollution due to proximity to industries that make Styrofoam are another channel to get exposed to Styrene, according to the NIH report. Many of the chemicals used in the manufacturing process are toxic, and workers who make them are at greatest risk.
Moreover, emissions from these factories can pollute the air, and the liquid and solid waste produced need disposal. HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons used initially in the manufacture of Styrofoam, were released during production processes, although they have now been replaced.
However, damage has been done as HFCs contribute to to global warming. Now Styrofoam production uses cardon dioxide and pentane instead of that pollutant. Benzene is another key ingredient used in making Styrofoam. Styrofoam appears to last forever as it is resistant to photolysis , or the breaking down of materials by photons originating from a light source. The Society of Environmental Journalists states that it requires about years to decompose. Other major uses of Styrofoam are as insulation boards for roofs, walls, floors in buildings, and as loose packaging material called packing peanuts.
While it can be recycled, the recycling market is diminishing. It seems that mealworms or mushrooms show promise for the eco-friendly solutions to degrade plastic, but that technology is still in its infancy.
According to the EPA , waste and waste management issues are improving. In each American person produced an average of 4. And between and , recycling rates have increased from less than 10 percent to more then 34 percent, while landfilling dropped from 89 percent to below 53 percent. In , the EPA said that impact of the 89 million tons of municipal solid waste that were recycled and composted was equivalent to removing the emissions of more than 38 million cars off the road.
It seems that neither bans nor recycling may be the magic button, but producing less waste overall is the right idea. So the year long debate is now shifting from waste management to waste reduction. Part of that process will involve taking a close look at our own practices, both at the individual and corporate levels. But that would be an important step in the right direction. JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students.
Neither banning nor recycling will rid us of Styrofoam. Can we live without it? By: Katherine Martinelli. October 9, November 12, Share Tweet Email Print. A Wonder Product or a Waste Nightmare? Audio brought to you by curio. Safer materials include recycled paper and bamboo products and reusable utensils made from corn or potato-based plastics.
Store food or drink in glass containers rather than plastic jars and bottles. Unfortunately, many brands of disposable dinnerware contain chemicals beyond styrene that can harm our health including BPA-a hormone disruptor, dioxins-linked to infertility, and phthalates-linked to breast cancer. If possible it is preferable to use reusable dinnerware. Stainless steel, pyrex or ceramic reusable plates, bowls, and cups are another option. For packing--biodegradable packing peanuts made out of corn or wheat can be used in place of polystyrene foam packing peanuts.
Additional alternative materials that are less harmful are plastic air bags, paper stuffing, and a polystyrene foam substitute that is made of mushrooms. What types of products can I use for hot beverages and food? Products made of paper, glass, stainless steel, and ceramic can keep food and beverages warm without leaching chemicals. Polystyrene foam is slow to degrade, but it is recyclable! However, white polystyrene foam must be clean and recycling must be done at specialized facilities.
Look for a PS recycling drop-off center in your community. Recycling centers locations are also available by visiting www. Earlier this year we released our Towards a Zero Plastic Waste Canada declaration — a sort of roadmap to a plastic free environment — where we called on Canada to eliminate plastic waste by One of our proposed steps is for the government to ban plastics that are hard to recycle or contain harmful chemicals.
Styrofoam is hard to recycle and is made from and often contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals. Banning it should be a no-brainer. At the same time we called for Canada to also introduce a whole host of other vital changes, including things like minimum recycling targets, overall waste reduction, and minimum recycled content targets for new products. Banning Styrofoam is just one piece of the puzzle. If you want to learn more about other actions Canada should take to fight plastic pollution, check out our website.
Plastic Pollution. What is Polystyrene?
0コメント