Properties of Styrofoam Cups
Styrofoam cups are made out of polystyrene. Styrofoam is a type of plastic trademarked by the Dow Chemical Company. Cheap and convenient, Styrofoam cups are a popular choice to keep every cup of coffee hot. Unfortunately, health concerns are associated with the polystyrene material. Does this Spark an idea?
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Economical
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Many institutions purchase polystyrene. Polystyrene material is considerably cheaper than disposable paper products. This allows them to be easily accessible to any business's budget.
Lightweight and strong
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Styrofoam is light. Polystyrene cups have a low density, making them lightweight and easy to carry. Polystyrene's high tensile strength allows it to be resistant to cracking.
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Leaching
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Styrene can leak into beverages. A problem with Styrofoam cups is that the styrene can leach into beverages and get ingested into consumer's bodies. The amount of leaching depends on the type of food or beverage it holds. Food and drink with a high fat or acidic content will have a higher leaching rate. Examples include chili, alcohol or a tea with lemon.
Carcinogenic
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Polystyrene is a potential human carcinogen. It contains trace amounts of other toxins, such as styrene, benzene, and bisphenol A.
Health effects
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Difficulty concentrating is a sign of neurological problems from styrene exposure. Studies show that styrene mimics estrogen in the body and disrupts endocrine functions. Long-term exposure to small quantities of styrene may lead to a number of health issues, including thyroid problems, menstrual irregularities, developmental and neurological problems and even cancer.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Terry Johnston Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Eneas De Troya Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of marya Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of David Goehring Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Francis
