Is styrofoam safe to eat in a microwave?
Iced green tea and foam cups keep the tea cooler and do not sweat, so my husband and I like to drink it during the day.Is it harmful to use these cups?I recycle the cups.
Styrene is a chemical compound that is increasingly suspect.In the 12th edition of its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program stated that styrene is likely to be a carcinogen, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified it as a possible human carcinogen.A hard version of polystyrene is used to make plastic utensils, yogurt and cottage cheese containers, cups and clear salad bar containers.Humans who are exposed to Styrene in the workplace are at greatest risk.It is used in the manufacture of a wide array of products, from boats, car and truck parts, to bath tub and shower stalls with glass fiber-reinforced plastic.According to the NTP, there is an increased risk for leukemia and lymphoma for workers exposed to styrene, as well as genetic damage in white blood cells.Styrene has been associated with respiratory problems among workers exposed to it as well as with "styrene sickness," a combination of headaches, fatigue and feelings of drunkenness.Styrene causes lung tumors in mice.Some evidence suggests that Styrene can get into foam food containers and cups when food is hot, but not when it is cold.I wouldn't use plastic containers for hot foods, but I would use styrene foam cups for cold drinks, based on what we know now.You can see the cups at a glance.To find out if other food containers are made with polystyrene, look for the number 6 inside the recycling symbol.Styrene poses a risk to the environment as well as to human health.According to the Environmental Protection Agency, of the 20 million pounds of waste generated each year, about 17 million of them wind up in the air and 1.7 million get into the water.Sea birds and marine animals eat foam from coffee cups and other food containers that end up in the ocean.
Humans who are exposed to Styrene in the workplace are at greatest risk.It is used in the manufacture of a wide array of products, from boats, car and truck parts, to bath tub and shower stalls with glass fiber-reinforced plastic.According to the NTP, there is an increased risk for leukemia and lymphoma for workers exposed to styrene, as well as genetic damage in white blood cells.Styrene has been associated with respiratory problems among workers exposed to it as well as with "styrene sickness," a combination of headaches, fatigue and feelings of drunkenness.Styrene causes lung tumors in mice.
Some evidence suggests that Styrene can get into foam food containers and cups when food is hot, but not when it is cold.I wouldn't use plastic containers for hot foods, but I would use styrene foam cups for cold drinks, based on what we know now.You can see the cups at a glance.To find out if other food containers are made with polystyrene, look for the number 6 inside the recycling symbol.
Styrene poses a risk to the environment as well as to human health.According to the Environmental Protection Agency, of the 20 million pounds of waste generated each year, about 17 million of them wind up in the air and 1.7 million get into the water.Sea birds and marine animals eat foam from coffee cups and other food containers that end up in the ocean.