Styrofoam food container are made out of polystyrene. It will emit Benzene and Styrene into the air and more importantly into our hot food and drinks when the hot food/drinks contacts with the container.
Health Effect
Benzene: The major effect of benzene from long-term (1 year or longer) exposure is on the blood. The benzene is a known human carcinogen (the ability to cause cancer). Eating or drinking foods containing high level of benzene can caues vomiting, irritation of stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, rapid heart rate and even death.
Styrene: Styrene is also possibly carcinogenic to humans (caused cancer). It can disrupt normal hormone function, possibly contributing to thyroid problems, menstrual irregularities, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Long term explosure to styrene also suspected to cause low platelet count or hemoglobin values, chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities, neurotoxic effect the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, sleeping problem, acute or chronic health problem associates with the nervous system.
Environment Effect
Polystyrene food packaging is causing serious pollution especially in the ocean. It is lightweight and easily blown into the drains, rivers and into the ocean. we use styrofoam food container for one time of a few minutes and it takes hundreds even thousands of years to dispose. It also kill alot of marine wildlife because it mimics food and the marine wildlife such as turtles and sea birds will ate it and choking to death or starvation as it is indigestible. Polystyrene food container is not able to recycle and reusable. Plastic industry has attempted to recycle polystyrene but it cause thousands of dollars per ton. There are 28 countries and 90 cities were banned the usage of such food container.
Recommendation
- Use ceramic or paper plates/bowls/mugs/cup
- Never microwave or heat food in polystyrene container.
- Buy food without polystyrene container when possible.
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