Styrene is primarily a synthetic chemical. It is also known as vinylbenzene, ethenylbenzene, cinnamene, or phenylethylene. It's a colorless liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell. It often contains other chemicals that give it a sharp, unpleasant smell.
Acute exposure to styrene by inhalation can give rise to irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, increased nasal secretion, wheezing and coughing. A more severe exposure to styrene can lead to the onset of CNS depression, the effects of which are commonly termed “styrene sickness”.
Guleria said inhalation and ingestion of styrene can cause effect the skin and the eyes. Absorption of this compound can affect the central nervous system causing headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. People become unsteady, have difficulty in walking and sometimes also can fall over.
Styrene Gas is a by-product of highly flammable raw material Styrene. The gas produced by burning styrene is poisonous in nature. Coming to chemical properties, Styrene Gas is a colour-less and odour-less compound. However, in few cases, the gas has been reported as having a mild sweet odour.
Health effects of styrene include irritation of the skin, eyes, and the upper respiratory tract. Acute exposure may also result in gastrointestinal effects.
during manufacture or use of styrene and styrene products. as a result of its manufacture and use. atmosphere with a half-life of 7– 16 hours.
Respirators with activated charcoal filters will remove most of the styrene from the air you're breathing. If your filter cartridges are replaced regularly you should never smell any styrene when you have the respirator on.
Leave your body:
Once in your body, styrene is broken down into other chemicals. Most of these other chemicals leave your body in the urine within few days.
Chronic (long-term) exposure to styrene in humans results in effects on the central nervous system (CNS), such as headache, fatigue, weakness, and depression, CSN dysfunction, hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy.
One can use a half-mask respirator which can filter gas and vapours and can be reused. If you do not have a mask, you can cover your mouth and nose with a damp cloth. Wear goggles that cover your eyes even from sides to prevent the chemical from entering the eyes.
Styrene is commonly detected in the air near hazardous waste sites, in motor vehicle tunnels, in indoor air and in the workplace. Styrene may be found in soil. It is also detected in some foods.
What Treatments are Available for Styrene Toxicity? The only treatment for styrene toxicity is treating the effects and symptoms of exposure and avoiding re-exposure to styrene. This includes monitoring for styrene-related cancers and tumors.
What is styrene gas? The styrene gas is heavier than air and comes down on spraying of water, and remains in the atmosphere for seven to eight hours. The gas can cause nausea and dizziness when inhaled. The benzene compound is used to make polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, rubber, and latex in its liquid form.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Toxicology Program (NTP) lists styrene as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that styrene is a possible human carcinogen.
Styrene testing can be carried out using a number of detecting instruments. It really depends on the functionality that you're looking for. Gastec tubes allow for a quick and simple spot test of Styrene. The detector tube technique is the lowest-cost method of measuring Styrene.
Summary: Styrene is primarily a synthetic chemical. It is also known as vinylbenzene, ethenylbenzene, cinnamene, or phenylethylene. It's a colorless liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell. It often contains other chemicals that give it a sharp, unpleasant smell.
How Do You Remove Styrene from Drinking Water? You can safely remove styrene to below 100 ppb through the use of Reverse Osmosis (RO) and granular activated carbon (GAC). Get a whole house water filter system designed to filter out harmful contaminants like styrene.
Styrene Monomer is a FLAMMABLE LIQUID. Use dry chemical, CO2, water spray or foam as extinguishing agents. POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE. CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE.
And yes, we've all done it -- thrown the styrofoam cup or plate on the fire so that we could watch it melt. But burning polystyrene releases large amounts of Carbon Monoxide, along with Styrene and a slew of other toxic chemical compounds into the environment which are known to be hazardous to our health.
While styrene doesn't dissolve well in water, it is highly soluble in ethanol, ether, and acetone, and slightly soluble in carbon tetrachloride. Also, it forms a homogenous mixture with benzene.
Styrene, which gives off a penetrating sweetish odour, is therefore one of the aromatic hydrocarbons.
It is a flammable liquid that is used in the manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, rubber, and latex. According to Tox Town, a website run by the US National Library of Medicine, styrene is also found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables.
The following exposure limits are for Styrene: OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 100 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift; 200 ppm not to be exceeded at any time; and 600 ppm as the 5-minute maximum peak which should never be exceeded in any 3-hour work period.
The human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of styrene are unknown. Workers exposed to large amounts of styrene can develop irritation of the eyes and breathing passages. With long-term and large exposures, workers using styrene have had injury to their nervous systems.