Health Risks
Name 3 health risks that affect humans.
Possible carcinogen......
What form of polystyrene pollutes the ocean the most?
Styrofoam
What type of chemical is polystyrene?
Polymer
What did the study by Welp E. find that styrene affected?
Colour vision
What happens to marine life that ingest polystyrene?
It blocks their digestive system and causes them to starve
How long does styrofoam take to decompose?
500 years
Why is polystyrene safer than styrene?
Because it's in solid form
How do chemicals from products that contain polystyrene affect marine life more?
They tend to spread faster through water
What elements make up polystyrene?
Carbon and hydrogen
How were pregnant women exposed to styrene at work affected?
Lower birth weight
Why are microplastics difficult to clean up?
They need multiple types of machinery and no one machine can 100% clean it up
What does the n in the chemical formula (C8H8)n represent?
The repeating styrene monomers
Where were the tumours in animals exposed to styrene?
The lungs
How does styrofoam make its way to the ocean
Naturally through wind or by humans dumping styrofoam into the ocean
How do you create expanded polystyrene?
Add steam