| STYRENE FACT SHEET
Brief Overview:
Contaminant: Styrene
Category: Organic
MCL: 100
PPB
Source: Manufacture
of polymers, plastics, paints
Effect: Fatigue;
liver and nerve tissue damage; cancer
Followup:
Treat and retest quarterly
Treatment:
Granular activated charcoal
Details:
Source: Styrene is an oily organic liquid with an aromatic,
almost floral odor. Initially, styrene was used primarily in the synthetic rubber
industry, but it is currently used as a building block for polymers in making
plastics, resins, coatings, and paints. Production of styrene was 10.7 billion
lbs in 1993. It is released into the environment by emissions and effluents from
its production and its use in polymer manufacture. Consumers may be exposed to
styrene through contact with resin products used in fiberglass boat construction
and repair, and in auto body fillers. Styrene may also leach from polystyrene
containers used for food products.
From 1987 to 1993, according to EPA's
Toxic Chemical Release Inventory, styrene releases to land and water totalled
over 2 million lbs. These releases were primarily from adhesives and sealants
industries. The largest releases occurred in Texas. The largest direct releases
to water occurred in Louisiana.
What happens to Styrene when it is released
to the environment? Styrene released to water rapidly evaporates and is degraded
by microbes. It does not bind well to soils and may leach to groundwater, but
its rapid break down minimizes this process. It does not tend to accumulate in
aquatic life.
Effect: Short-term: EPA has
found styrene to potentially cause the following health effects when people are
exposed to it at levels above the MCL for relatively short periods of time: nervous
system effects such as depression, loss of concentration, weakness, fatigue and
nausea.
Long-term: Styrene has the potential to cause the following effects
from a lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL: liver and nerve tissue damage;
cancer.
Followup:Treat
and retest quarterly.
Treatment:
Granular activated charcoal in combination with Packed Tower Aeration.
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