Nasif Masad

Usually we use cups made of polystyrene (styrofoam drinking cups) and soft drink bottles made of polyester.

Styrene is added in the production of most of these disposable drinking cups and bottles to give them flexibility, When styrene is exponed to heat or used for acid liquid such as vinegar or limon, for long time, styrene would be dissolved and accumulated in the human body. It has hazardous effect on the nervous system, causing blood pressure, depression, sleeping disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and in some cases some kind of cancer.

While researchers are working to find whether these materials have effect of Genotoxicity and carcinogenicity or haven’t, we continue using them in most of our birthday parties, in camping and in our daily life. In fact styrofoam plates, and containers are used to serve hot food, roast chicken, hamburgers In the supermarket and working place.

The most hazardous use would be drinking hot tea or acid juice, the effect would doble by drinking hot tea with lemon

Using the disposable bottle as hot water bottle in the winter is also hazardous if this water is used after a night long in the bottle.

Farthermore these bottles usually end in a landfill to be burnt or burried. Researchers suggest that these polystyrene cups are causing the death of millions of birds and sea animals every year.