Why am I being warned about potential exposure to styrene?
- Styrene is on the Proposition 65 list because it can cause cancer. Exposure to styrene may increase the risk of cancer.
- Proposition 65 requires businesses to determine if they must provide a warning about exposure to listed chemicals.
What is styrene?
Styrene is an industrial chemical used to produce a number of different products, including synthetic rubbers, latex paints and coatings, and polystyrene plastics and resins.
How does exposure to styrene occur?
- Styrene is released into indoor air from some paints and building materials, such as certain types of insulation, insulated panels, and rubber flooring.
- Styrene is released into indoor air during the operation of some 3D printers that use filaments containing acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or high-impact polystyrene (HIPS). It can also be released by some photocopiers and laser printers that use toners containing styrene copolymers.
- Styrene is released into the air from some industrial facilities, including plastics and fiberglass manufacturers, and waste disposal sites.
- Small amounts of styrene can be transferred to some food from polystyrene-based food-contact items, such as drinking cups, plates, and other containers.
- Styrene is found in tobacco smoke.
- During pregnancy, styrene can pass from mother to baby.
Main ways you can be exposed to styrene:
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How can I reduce my potential exposure to styrene?
- Do not smoke tobacco. Avoid breathing air that contains tobacco smoke.
- Do not allow children to smoke tobacco products or spend time in places where tobacco is being smoked, or has been smoked.
- If possible, limit your consumption of hot foods and beverages from polystyrene-based containers. Do not heat foods or beverages in these containers, which include cups, bowls, and clamshell and other take-out containers. Polystyrene containers may appear as clear or colored plastic or foam, and often carry the recycle code 6.
- Use a well-ventilated area for printing, especially if you are using:
- 3D or laser printers that use filaments containing styrene copolymers.
- Photocopiers with toners containing styrene copolymers.
For more information:
General Fact Sheets and Resources
- US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Scientific Information on Styrene
- World Health Organization (WHO)
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)- IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, vol. 82 (2002). “Styrene” in Some Traditional Herbal Medicines, Some Mycotoxins, Naphthalene and Styrene, pages 437-550.
- US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Toxicology Program (NTP)
Proposition 65
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)- Proposition 65: Background
- Proposition 65: The List of Chemicals
- Proposition 65: Fact Sheets
