Styrofoam for human illnesses, anyone?

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

THAT WHITE disposable food container commonly used in food chains nowadays, called styrofoam, has become increasingly popular among food store operators and consumers. However, environmentalists in Ilocos Norte, led by Dr. Ma. Victoria Domingo and Fr. Leo Ruiz, are up in arms against its continued use.

Based on research findings in the United States, they claim that styrofoam is causing enormous negative impact on public health and the environment. They said that the increasing use of styrofoam has caused what the green movement calls “white pollution phenomena.”

Styrofoam was discovered 50 years ago. It is a petroleum-based product with styrene, hydrofluorocarbon (HCFC), chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), benzene and ethylene as its chemical components. It was estimated that a styrofoam industry would profit at least 150 billion dollars a year, resulting in the spread of processing plants across the United States, China and India

Already, the health community has discovered the emergence of neo-hormonal diseases caused by styrene migration to food products. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer considers styrene as a possible cancer-causing agent among humans.

Studies suggest that styrene acts like an estrogen inside the body; it can disrupt normal hormonal functions and can cause thyroid problems, menstrual irregularities and other hormone-related problems like breast and prostate cancer.

The US Environmental Protection Agency suspects that long-term exposure even to small amounts of styrene causes low platelet count or hemoglobin value, as well as chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities with neurotoxic effects in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, resulting in fatigue, nervousness, sleeping difficulty, and other acute or chronic health problems associated with the nervous system.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change has also underscored styrofoam and its chemical components as one of the major causes of ozone depletion, global warming, and climate change.

The greatest health concern is the danger associated with styrene, the basic building block of styrofoam. Environmentalists claim that styrene leaches out from styrofoam into the food it contains, especially when the food is hot or heated in a microwave.

The US Environmental Protection Agency claims that styrene migration from a styrofoam cup with cold or hot beverages is as high as 0.025% for a single use. Thus, if one drinks water, tea, or coffee from polystyrene cups four times a day for three years, he may also consume about one styrofoam cup of styrene, the environmentalists said. Studies have shown that the higher the fat content of food, the higher is styrene migration into it. Likewise, styrene tends to migrate more quickly when foods or drinks are hot.

Styrofoam is non-sustainable, non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, and heavily pollutive, the environmentalists claimed. They said a styrofoam cup needs 1000 years or more to dissolve and it is not known if the product is safe. Thus, a city or province with several thousand tons of styrofoam garbage a year may be cutting down the expected life span of its landfill, if any.

As William Ruthje and Cullen Murphy claim in their book, Archeology of Garbage, styrofoam is complete rubbish, as it takes several decades to hundreds of years to deteriorate in the environment or landfill. Styrene leaching out from styrofoam continuously pollutes land and water bodies, as it persists over thousands of years. Styrofoam exacts a huge toll on taxpayers, tourism, water quality, public health, and the environment.

Environmentalists assert, however, it is not yet too late to avert the damage caused by styrofoam. They said everybody, including policy makers, can help prevent or at least mitigate its impact.

They recommend the use of glass, ceramic or porcelain plate, mug, bowl and cup, as well as paper or recyclable plastic whenever possible. Industries should increase the use of ‘eco-foam’ or foam made from corn starch as insulation material in the package of electronic chips and appliances, they added.

On the other hand, local government units may as well consider the adoption of a policy prohibiting the use of styrofoam as food container and packaging material.

Styrofoam for human illnesses and environmental pollution, anyone?

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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