Styrofoam and Cancer !

Relation of Styrofoam and Cancer

Abstract:
Styrofoam containers is said to be one of the cause of cancer in humans due to human
lifestyles. Styrene composing Styrofoam is the point. From many research, Styrene is listed to be
hazardous and being carcinogen. The chemical would release when contacting with hot drinks. If
Styrene enter human bodies in heavy amount, the people will be more likely to have white blood
cancer which is known as Leukemia. Many doctors and scientists advises that people should avoid
using Styrofoam containers to prevent cancer. Also, the chemical entering the body of pregnant
woman would have effects on the baby inside. Instead of using Styrofoam containers to contain
food or drinks, it could be replaced by plastic cups, bowls, or boxes which is made in a food grade.
Lastly, the government should take responsibility on the citizen lives quality. Even if the citizens are
uneducated, they could have the good health.

Introduction
After the industrial revolution, many inventions were developed, and have been used more
widely. One of those inventions is Styrofoam. Styrofoam takes part in almost every role of society.
The biggest role of Styrofoam is being food containers. Nowadays, Styrofoam becomes worldwide,
lots of restaurants together with street food sellers used the Styrofoam boxes as their main type of
food containers as it is the cheapest among the types of packaging.However, Styrofoam is believed
to be one of the causes of cancer.
Since 2012, the rate of people having cancer conducted by Cancer Research UK shows that
during the year, people getting cancer around the world was 14.1 million people, also more than
half had died (Worldwide Cancer Statistic, 2012, 21 May). Comparing that to what it used to be in
2000, there had been about 4.1 million fewer people getting cancer than twelve years after(Global
cancer statistic in the year 2000, 2012, 22 May). Therefore, the problems of cancer disease becomes
more serious and attentive. According to the previous statement,the problems have been recognised
by most countries. Thus, the research relating to causes of cancer were conducted. The carcinogens,
the factors that stimulate and activate cancer cells, can be grouped into six categories, pollution,
household exposures, work place exposures, medical treatments, naturally occurring exposures, and
lifestyles (Known and Probable Human Carcinogen, May 26, 2016). Styrofoam is a part of today
lifestyle.
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As a result, this research has gathered information about how styrofoam relates to cancer as
a cause. The research provides facts of what the compositions of styrofoam are, and which one
activate the cancer cells in human body. Moreover, the research discusses to details of why the
chemical has to be included in making styrofoam, how does it released from foam, how does it react
to human cells, and the most important question is how can it be replaced by something that is not
toxin to human bodies. The purpose of this research is to give useful informations to people about
the effects of using styrofoam as food containers, and giving some solutions to the styrofoam
producers, so no one is affected in terms of health.

Literature Review
This section is divided into three parts including introduction to Styrofoam, relation of
Styrofoam and cancer, effects of Styrofoam, and replacement. The details will be given as follows.

What is Styrofoam?
Styrofoam is also known as Polystyrene. Polystyene is a light weight materials as it consists
of 95 percent of air.Also, it has a property of being a good insulator .It is used in food production as
food containers such as cups and boxes.(Polystyrene Foam Report, 25 May, 2015).
In 1839, Styrofoam was first discovered by Edward Simon who is a German. He found it in
a form of Polystyrene. Then, another German Chemist, Hermann Staudinger, recognised that
Polystyrene or Styrene monomers chain, is a plastic polymer. Since 1922, Staudinger turned his
discovery about Polystyrene into a theory as he found that it has some similarities to the theory of
rubber as he had found that Polystyrene consists of molecules chain that creates its properties. The
same as rubber, bonds between monomers make it becomes elastic.

Relation of Styrofoam and Cancer and Its Effects

One of the main composition of Styrofoam is called Styrene. Styrofoam is made up of
Styrene chains which is harmful to human bodies. One of the effects in form of diseases people got
from it is cancer.
According to the statistic of Hazardous 100+ research, Styrene chemical is on the fifth place
of top 100 toxin substances.(Hazardous 100+ Chemicals, 26 May, 2016). This chemicals can be
 Styrofoam and Cancer !3

found mostly in Styrofoam products. The one that is directly harmful to human bodies is the one
contained in Styrofoam food containers.

Referring to the interview of doctor Philip Landrigan, he has mentioned that the chemicals
would easier leaked into drinks or food with hot temperature that the cold one. For example, hot
coffee would be mixed with carcinogen as it is filled into a Styrofoam cup.
Regarding to another study, Styrene has been listed by National Institute of Health as a
substance that cause cancer. (Skip The Styrene, Skip The Cancer, 2014).
The carcinogen, Styrene, released from Styrofoam products affects human bodies as when it
is absorbed, the white blood cells are destroyed leading to low concentration of blood cells causing
Leukemia and Lymphoma, types of cancer happening in white blood cells. The people who has
Leukemia may have short breathing, feeling unwell which means always feel tired and weak, easily
bruise, and bleeding(gum or nose).(Signs and Symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukaemia, 2014).

Replacement of Styrofoam
Referring back to last 5 centuries when Styrene chemical have not been realised, the people
use banana leaves to pack their food. That is one way that Styrofoam can be replaced. This one is a
materials that people can make sure that it has no any harmful chemicals.
In another way, there are some other types of containers excluded from Styrofoam including
containers made from corn starch, palm fibre, peat fibre, and wheat stock. These containers
materials is not composed of any chemicals especially Styrene which is mentioned as a carcinogen
damaging white blood cells.
Plastic cups, boxes, and bags (the food grade one) are the good things to substitute the uses
of Styrofoam containers. Those plastic containers are able to contain hot drinks or food without
leaching chemicals into food.

Discussion
Stanley Chang said that the bill 40, the bill banning Styrofoam, should be used to stop
people from using Styrofoam as it has effects on both environment and humans health. On the other
hand, Eddies Flores, in terms of economics, the foam boxes only cost about 10 cents, while the corn
 Styrofoam and Cancer !4

boxes cost about 4 times that of the foam boxes, then the consumers are the one who has to pay for
it. Also, he said that if the sellers use boxes from corn, palm, etc. to contain soup, the containers will
get wet and there will be a hole. Even that, Chang still think that there will be some adjustment of
people for both customers and sellers if the Styrofoam is really banned from food production. From

this interview, the business owners do not agree to increase their costs from using the good grade
containers. Therefore, banning Styrofoam is on argument.
In addition, there are many informations states that Styrene is hazardous. However, there are
no specific statistic of how many people died from cancer caused by Styrene. Also, the evidence is
not enough to conclude that one of the causes of cancer in humans is Styrene. To make the evidence
strong enough about whether or not Styrene is a major factor of cancer, the research about the
people routines or lifestyles in cities or countries need to be conducted.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Styrofoam have existed for more that five hundred years; however, the effects of it is still
not widely recognise. From various research, Styrofoam has multiple effects on human bodies. One
of them is cancer, especially on white blood cells.
To suggest, the pregnant women should avoid eating Styrofoam products because the
chemical released from Styrofoam, Styrene would effect the development of fetus. (Philip
Landrigan ,2014). The babies would be more likely to be born with under average weight or some
abnormalities. Also, the citizens are recommended to use plastic package or containers which are
produced specifically for food instead, especially for hot drinks or silly food. People should avoid
interacting with Styrene in every way as Styrene chemical can go into our bodies via multiple ways.
Finally, the governments are suggested to take part on decreasing use of Styrofoam by banning
Styrofoam within countries to protect the citizens from getting bad health in long term.
In case of the United State of America, Styrofoam have been banned in many cities such as
California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and
Washington DC. As there are some examine cases of banning the food ware Styrofoam, Thailand
should take those as example cases, and looking back to how were Thai citizen healths. Thus, the
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Thai government should make the decision on whether or not we should start pushing out
Styrofoam food containers from our society.
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Bibliography

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Known and Probable Human Carcinogens Introduction.(2015, 27 October). Retrieved in 2016, May
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L. Alesia. (2014, May 26). Styrene and Styrofoam 101. Retrieved in 2016, 26 May from
http://saferchemicals.org/2014/05/26/styrene-and-styrofoam-101-2/
MVP Plates And Bowls. (2014, November 13). Health Hazards of Polystyrene/Styrofoam
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