Fun fact: "Styrofoam" is actually just a brand name!

The white material making up your coffee cup is actually called expanded
polystyrene (EPS). The word Styrofoam is a trademark name for a product that’s used to insulate buildings.

What is Expanded Polystyrene?

Polystyrene is actually just another type of plastic. It can be expanded
into the foam material that we all know as "Styrofoam" by expanding
it with 95% air. It is often used for packaging fragile products, or
insulating hot food and beverages.
German apothecary Eduard Simon discovered polystyrene in 1839
when he isolated the substance from natural resin.

Uses of Polystyrene
Polystyrene in Appliances
Refrigerators, air conditioners, ovens, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, blenders – these and other appliances often are made with
polystyrene (solid and foam) because it is inert (doesn’t react with other materials), cost-effective and long-lasting.
Polystyrene in Packaging
Polystyrene (solid and foam) is widely used to protect consumer products. CD and DVD cases, foam packaging peanuts for
shipping, food packaging, meat/poultry trays and egg cartons typically are made with polystyrene to protect against damage or
spoilage.
Pros and Cons of Polystyrene
PROS CONS
 Less Expensive than other products for food ware  It is not biodegradable; therefore, it takes up a lot of
 Provides better insulation which helps keep food fresh space in landfills
longer  EPS foam sometimes breaks up into smaller pieces that
 Can maintain temperatures for both hot and cold are more difficult to clean up.
beverage items  It can have disastrous effects on animals that may
 Can be used on roads and other structures to prevent oil confuse it for food
disturbance  Styrene can leech into food and drinks. Excess
 Has great buoyancy inhalation, and digestion of styrene is dangerous
 It uses less energy and resources than their paper  Easily burned because it is like a petroleum product
counterparts during manufacturing
Incidents partaking with Polystyrene
Incident #1
According to Douglas McCauley, a marine biology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, there are two
main issues that polystyrene causes for marine animals - mechanical and chemical.
"The [mechanical root] is very straight-forward," said McCauley, "Oftentimes, we find polystyrene foam lodged in the
intestines that causes blockages that can be lethal. If you think about how we worry about a mild blockage from eating the
wrong thing, imagine eating a ball of Styrofoam. That's what some of these animals are doing."
Chemically, absorbent properties make EPS even more dangerous. "Polystyrene foams essentially act like little pollutant
sponges, picking up and concentrating some of the nastiest contaminants in the ocean," McCauley says. "Then something
like a sea turtle comes along and eats this thinking it is a jellyfish."
That's not just bad for the fish and the oceans. It could be bad for humans.
"It is very worrisome to me that some of these plastic-feeding fish may be ending up back on our tables," says McCauley.
Synthesis
We therefore conclude that, Styrofoam is a negative invention because it harms our environment more and will definitely
weigh us down in the future ahead of us. Styrofoam can be useful in many kinds of situations, but its usefulness and
convenience is only good temporarily. The use of Styrofoam regularly and in the long run causes not only damage to the
human body but also to our environment. It's very useful and convenient but all good things have its drawbacks.
Sources:
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/PHS/PHS.asp?id=419&tid=74
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Styrofoam
https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/why-you-should-say-no-styrofoam/
https://sciencing.com/pros-cons-of-styrofoam-12079533.html