Everyday I see styrofoam containers in the form of fast food containers, restaurant take out, and coffee cups. Styrofoam containers are a favorite among people and restaurant owners. Let’s face it, they do a great job of keeping food hot or cold. But do they also do a great job of promoting cancer and leukemia?
Environmental Protection Agency Seal (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)
According to the EPA styrene , a chemical component of styrofoam, causes cancer in animals. While the EPA wants to do more testing to see if it causes cancer in humans, Philip Landrigan, M.D. , from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, prefers to error on the side of caution by telling people that they should be cautious while the data is completed. As a pediatrician, he urges pregnant women and children to refrain from using styrofoam containers.
The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), 1983 stated that the chemical styrene could migrate into food from styrofoam containers. If this is true, just imagine all of the chemicals that we eat when our hot food is placed in a styrofoam take out container, or when our piping hot coffee is contained in a styrofoam cup.
The Department of Health and Human Services recently listed styrene as a potential carcinogen.
It seems as though every government agency is willing to all, but call styrene a carcinogen. Who knows how many more years it will take the government to reach its final conclusion that styrene is harmful to our health. The companies that make styrofoam are fighting back by calling the science unfounded. They don’t believe that styrene is a carcinogen. These companies have a lot to lose if the government declares styrene to be a carcinogen. You can bet they will pull out all the stops to delay the outcome of government testing.
What you can do to make a difference:
- Avoid styrofoam containers.
- If your favorite restaurant uses styrofoam, call them and ask them to provide an alternative. Post the request on their Facebook page, or other social media, if they have one.
- Do not microwave coffee, tea, or foods in styrofoam containers, not even for a few seconds.
- Contact your representative and encourage them to ban the use of styrofoam containers. Don’t know who your representative is? Click here to find out.
Sources: IPCS, EPA, Abc News.
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