Polystyrene cups may be hazardous to-health and environment

Ubiquitously popular polystyrene (styrofoam) drinking cups may be irreversibly hazardous to both users' health and the environment. Polystyrene drinking cups are made of material called styrene.

The styrene which accumulates in the human body may result in: damage to the nervous system, depression, sleep disorders, parkinson’s disease, and in certain cases cancer. The styrene material in cups dissolves and mixes with the drink and thereby becomes hazardous to the drinker.The higher the temperature of the drink, the higher the rate of styrene migration from cup to drink. The highest rate of styrene migration is in cups of hot tea with lemon.

Scientific research reveals that in 100% of the cases of persons drinking from polystyrene cups, a high and even dangerous level of styrene was found in their bodies. The damage is accumulative and it increases as use of polystyrene cups increases.

The National Institute for Cancer Research in France resolved to change the classification of styrene to be classified as a material which may cause cancer. Polystyrene cups extremely damage the planet earth upon which we live, and received the worst grades for their inability to be recycled. Research has proven that even after 500 years, these cups will survive and will not breakdown.

Research has proven that un-recyclable materials cause the deaths of 1,000,000 sea birds and 100,000 sea mammals every year.

Un-recyclable polystyrene cups when burned damage the earth’s ozone layer. Polystyrene cups cause an increase in waste, and an inability of re-cycling other waste materials as a result of their being mixed with paper in trash cans.

For additional details, see the following internet sites:

http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/dwh/c-voc/styrene.html

http://www.enviroweb.org