In New York City, the public school system has 1,100,000 students and throws out 850,000 trays every school day. We are concerned about the imapct of styrene on our kids' health, on our environment, and on our education system. We shouldn't teach our kids that it is ok to use a tray for 3 minutes and then trow it out. Please look through these links, check out our web site, and send us a note to tell us how your schools serve lunch. We are looking for solutions, ideas and as much information as we can get. Check out our NYC site at sosnyc.org

Top 5 Suspected Everyday Carcinogens in the American Cancer Society's Scary New Report
Katie Drummond, Contributor
AOL News Surge Desk
(July 15 2010) -- Some carcinogens you already know and fear: cigarettes, asbestos, smoked meat.

But what about the ones you've never even heard of? That's the crux of a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS), which rounds up 20 "suspected carcinogens" the organization would like to see studied more extensively.

Of course, that research, if it happens, will come after the chemicals, ingredients -- and even lifestyle choices -- are already embedded into the bedrock of our 24/7 economy.

"The objectives of this report are to identify research gaps and needs for 20 agents prioritized for review based on evidence of widespread human exposures and potential carcinogenicity in animals or humans," Elizabeth Ward, the co-author of the report, said.

So just what are these potential cancer causers lurking in our everyday environs? Surge Desk runs down five (not so awesome) favorites.

1. Styrene
Styrene, and its chemical compound colleague styrene-7,-8-oxide, threaten to be a stoner's worst nightmare. Although only weakly linked to cancer in humans, there's enough evidence in animal studies to earn the compounds a spot in the top 20.

Captain Moore on the Dangers of Styrofoam
Laurie David, Producer/Author, July 14, 2009

Styrofoam is a copyrighted term for a Dow Chemical insulation material. The generic term for the spongy white cups and take out containers we are all familiar with is expanded polystyrene.

Photos of waterborne trash accumulations from urban centers invariably show large quantities of expanded polystyrene containers. When polystyrene -- think clear CD cases that crack -- is expanded, gas is dispersed into the melted polymer creating innumerable channels and bubbles in the material. This makes it a good insulator for hot beverages and food, and gives it a texture that is easy to handle. It also makes it float, since plain polystyrene is heavier than water.
Dr. Anthony Andrady, Algalita Marine Research Foundation's lead polymer scientist, conducted experiments with different types of plastic in the ocean and on land to determine how they lose flexibility, become brittle, and break down into fragments. He found that all plastics except one, expanded polystyrene, broke down faster on land than in the ocean

Life Cycle: Styrofoam:
Mark of the Plastic Beast
Simran Sethi
Posted: September 18, 2008

Your Styrofoam lunch container of Mooshu pork is labeled with the recycling number 6, a digit with evil connotations. Coincidence?

Styrofoam is one of the most infamous environmental villains, to be sure.

This highly durable spawn of the 20th century, also known as polystyrene, is manufactured using benzene, from coal; styrene, from petroleum; and ethylene, a "blowing agent" used in the process since the crackdown on CFCs. Extracting these raw materials generates air and water pollution, and the process of whipping them together can lead to lung cancer and neurological problems in factory workers.

he fact that styrene can adversely affect humans in a number of ways raises serious public health and safety questions regarding its build-up in human tissue and the root cause of this build- up. According to a Foundation for Achievements in Science and Education fact sheet, long term exposure to small quantities of styrene can cause neurotoxic (fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping), hematological (low platelet and hemoglobin values), cytogenetic (chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities), and carcinogenic effects.[1,2] In 1987, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, reclassified styrene from a Groups 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity) to a Group 2B substance (possibly carcinogenic to humans).

Polystyrene & Health Homepage
ejnet.org

he fact that styrene can adversely affect humans in a number of ways raises serious public health and safety questions regarding its build-up in human tissue and the root cause of this build- up. According to a Foundation for Achievements in Science and Education fact sheet, long term exposure to small quantities of styrene can cause neurotoxic (fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping), hematological (low platelet and hemoglobin values), cytogenetic (chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities), and carcinogenic effects.[1,2] In 1987, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, reclassified styrene from a Groups 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity) to a Group 2B substance (possibly carcinogenic to humans)

Although there is evidence that styrene causes cancer in animals, it has not yet been proven to cause cancer in humans. Styrene primarily exhibits its toxicity to humans as a neurotoxin by attacking the central and peripheral nervous systems. The accumulation of these highly lipid-soluble (fat-soluble) materials in the lipid-rich tissues of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves is correlated with acute or chronic functional impairment of the nervous system.

BusinessBarbados
Barbados' Premiere Business and Investment Source

When polystyrene is sent to the landfill, it is quickly covered and this process deprives it of water and oxygen, which would normally help it to break down.

Much of the disposable packaging that we eat from today will therefore still be around in 500 years. If the first settlers in Barbados in 1625 had been able to eat from polystyrene and the containers had been put into a landfill, the same containers would still be around today

Health Effects

The fact that styrene can adversely affect humans in a number of ways raises serious public health and safety questions regarding its build-up in human tissue. Although there is evidence that styrene causes cancer in animals, it has not yet been proven to cause cancer in humans. Styrene primarily exhibits its toxicity to humans as a neurotoxin by attacking the central and peripheral nervous systems. The accumulation of these highly lipid-soluble (fat-soluble) materials in the lipid-rich tissues of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves is correlated with acute or chronic functional impairment of the nervous system.