# Styrofoam toxicity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878 "2002-07-14T04:41:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/1 "2002-07-14T04:41:59Z")
Ok. My friend makes a batch of grilled cheese sandwiches - only he puts them in the microwave for too long, and the styrofoam plate bonds slightly to the bread. Since he’ll eat anything, he just scraped it off the bread and ate them - and then later offered the last sandwich to me. I didn’t figure out the styrofoam had bonded to the bread until I looked at the plate. I figure it was no big deal… but then I started to get a stomach ache. So I was wondering, does eating (miniscule) amounts of styrofoam do something terrible to the digestive system? Does it release some sort of toxin when it’s melted by acid? Should I try to puke, or anything? Or is it no big deal? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/2 "2002-07-14T05:07:41Z")
In a related question, is milk powerful enough as a base to neutralize the acid left in the esophagus after puking? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/3 "2002-07-14T05:16:56Z")
Evidently milk isn’t a base at all, but slightly acidic. Learn something every day. ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/4 "2002-07-14T05:43:38Z")
It must be nice to have your own private thread, **SeñorBeef**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/5 "2002-07-14T06:13:34Z")
I’m enjoying myself. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/6 "2002-07-14T10:05:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SenorBeef \* > \*\*Evidently milk isn’t a base at all, but slightly acidic. Learn something every day. \*\* Also sucks for ulcers, for the same reason, contrary to popular belief. Regarding styrofoam, well, I don’t imagine it can be a terribly healthy thing to do… ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/7 "2002-07-14T14:10:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Evidently milk isn’t a base at all, but slightly acidic. > [@](#): > > Also sucks for ulcers, for the same reason, contrary to popular belief The reason that milk is not a great ulcer remedy is because it stimulates further acid production. The pH of milk is only trivially acidic and pales in comparison to the much lower pH of gastric acid. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/8 "2002-07-14T20:26:13Z")
Styrofoam is a trademark owned by Dow Chemical for a make of polystyrene foam. It is used mostly to create insulation. It is _not_ used to make cups or plates. From the Dow Web site: > [@](#): > > Our extensive product line covers almost any application, from basements and foundations to cathedral ceilings and rooftops. There is one place you won’t find STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene foam, and that’s in coffee cups, coolers, meat trays and other generic foam products. These disposable products are made of either molded expanded polystyrene beads or thin extruded polystyrene sheet, neither of which is manufactured by Dow in the United States. > **[DuPont Performance Building Solutions](https://www.dupont.com/building.html)** > > Whether you’re an architect, contractor or developer, learn how DuPont will work with you from the ground up to find the right construction materials and processes for your next project. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/9 "2002-07-15T03:37:56Z")
Then what’s the substance found in cups, etc? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/10 "2002-07-15T03:39:48Z")
Er, ignore that. Mentally skipped over the content of that quote for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/11 "2002-07-15T09:52:23Z")
styrofoam (polystyrene) is nontoxic by ingestion as it goes straight through the intestinal track without being absorbed. It’s dust is irritating to lungs (what dust isn’t) and could well cause problems there. the only problem with styroam is that it can contain residual levels of the chemical used to make it - styrene. Also overheating polystyrene (180 C +) will cause it to break down releasing styrene. Styrene is not good for you long term, though I used to work all day with it working on fibreglass boats. So if me breathing it all day for two years did me no obvious damage, then the very small amounts in the cups are unlikely to be a problem. The jury is still out whether it is carcinogenic, but if it is, it is a very weak carcinogen ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styrofoam-toxicity/118878/12 "2002-07-23T10:56:45Z")
I _knew_ I remembered something about tea and dissolving (not-)styrofoam, but gave up finding that thread. Duh, it was a Cecil: [Why does tea make holes in plastic foam cups?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_109.html)