Contenido

Tiene un gran impacto ambiental, ya que tarda 500 años (o más) en degradarse. Causa contaminación de los océanos y es ingerido por los animales que conforman la fauna marina, causándoles la muerte. El poliestireno expandido contiene un tipo de dioxinas que son tóxicas y pueden provocar problemas de reproducción y desarrollo, afectar el sistema inmunitario, interferir con hormonas y causar cáncer en humanos.

Production

Non-renewable natural resources are used to produce polystyrene, since it is a plastic derived from petroleum. Regarding the production process and its ecological footprint, one of the main concerns is the emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the atmosphere.[5]​ It is worth mentioning that the production processes of products such as construction irons, thermal glasses for drinks and packaging for household appliances have never been responsible for such release of CFCs.[6]​ These processes use pentane and not chlorofluorocarbons and therefore are not subject to the regulations of the Montreal protocol and other similar ones.[7]​ Following the discovery of the ozone hole, it was not necessary to make changes to the expanded polystyrene production process.

There is a different process called extrusion expanded polystyrene (XPS), which is used only to produce objects such as food trays, hamburger boxes, and disposable plates, cups, and bowls.[8]​ In the past, certain extruded polystyrene products were made with chemicals that released gases that contributed to the enlargement of the ozone hole. Nowadays, as awareness of this problem has been raised, alternative production processes for these products have been successfully implemented around the world, replacing harmful substances in the atmosphere.[9]​.

Use and end of life

Expanded polystyrene is 100% reusable to form blocks of the same material and is also recyclable to manufacture raw materials for other types of products. Furthermore, since it has a high calorific value and does not contain gases from the CFC group, it can be safely incinerated in energy recovery plants.[10]​ It is not desirable to pour it into landfills since this material does not degrade easily.[5]​

Depending on the characteristics (mainly size and shape) of an expanded polystyrene object and the environment that surrounds it, degradation can take from a few months to more than 500 years. An expanded polystyrene cup exposed to solar energy, wind, rain, etc. It will degrade in a short time, while a similar glass that is buried in a landfill will take much longer, 50 years on average. The recycling symbol for polystyrene is the triangle with the number 6 and the acronym PS.[11]​[12]​ The main method to recycle polystyrene has been used for decades and consists of mechanically breaking up the material and then mixing it with new material and thus forming EPS blocks that can contain up to 50% recycled material. There are currently other technologies for recycling such as mechanical densification, which consists of applying mechanical and thermal energy to foams to convert them into compact particles that can be transported more efficiently. Methods are also studied to dissolve the foams in special solvents and thus facilitate their transportation and reprocessing.[13]​.

One of the main environmental problems is the use of disposable cups of any material, since they are discarded mixed with the rest of the waste and it is very difficult to separate them for recycling. In the city of Los Angeles, an EPS collection program was implemented that allows this waste to be recycled properly.[14] About one hundred cities in the United States have banned the use of disposable polystyrene foam cups, without taking into account that cardboard cups require a large amount of resources to manufacture, cannot be recycled because they are coated and take more than 300 years to degrade in modern landfills.[15] Among these cities are: Portland "Portland (Oregon)"), Berkeley "Berkeley (California)") and Oakland "Oakland (California)").[16] Some companies have unilaterally banned polystyrene in their packaging; such is the case of the video game console manufacturer Nintendo.[17]​.

In Valencia, Spain, the Fallas monuments of the Fallas or ninots are mainly made of this material, which provides great versatility during molding and an increase in brightness in the paint. On the other hand, when the monuments burn on the last day of the festivities, the pollution generated reaches toxic levels. Therefore, responsible use is recommended so that the environmental impact is as low as possible.

Importance of thermal insulation in reducing emissions

Polystyrene, being one of the best thermal insulators, is widely used in the construction of energy-saving buildings. A building properly insulated with Styrofoam can reduce the energy used to air condition it by up to 40%. In this way, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

There is also fear that polystyrene affects the reproductive health of laboratory animals.[18] Although there are no conclusive studies in this regard, there is a Greenpeace report that includes styrene among the substances that affect reproductive health. According to polystyrene manufacturers, the residual levels of styrene in the final product are minimal, and since it is a volatile substance, they evaporate.[1]​[2]​[19]​[6]​[20]​[8]​.

According to a 1986 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, polystyrene ranked as the fifth-largest chemical producing hazardous waste. There is a report from said agency on polystyrene, available online.[21]​.

The Aragonese music group Los Gandules performed an ode to expanded polystyrene in their song That crazy material using as a base the song "libertad sin ira", by the Spanish musical group Jarcha "Jarcha (band)").

Luis Alberto Spinetta, Argentine singer-songwriter and guitarist, made an instrumental song called Telgopor in honor of his keyboardist friend Diego Rapoport, included on the album 18' del Sol.

The material is manufactured from polystyrene compounds in the form of "pearls" that contain an expanding agent (usually pentane). After pre-expansion, the pearlite is kept in rest silos and is subsequently conveyed to molding machines. Within these machines, thermal energy is applied so that the expanding agent contained in the pearlites heats up and they increase their volume, while the polymer becomes plasticized. During this process, the material adapts to the shape of the molds that contain it.

In construction, it is usually sold in sheets of different thicknesses and densities. It is also common to use expanded polystyrene vaults to create floors with a higher degree of thermal insulation.

The composition of polystyrene is the same whether it is extruded or expanded. Extruded is a closed structure that does not lose its thermal properties if it gets wet, compared to expanded polystyrene, which, having an open (porous) structure, loses its thermal properties when it gets wet.

Contenido

Tiene un gran impacto ambiental, ya que tarda 500 años (o más) en degradarse. Causa contaminación de los océanos y es ingerido por los animales que conforman la fauna marina, causándoles la muerte. El poliestireno expandido contiene un tipo de dioxinas que son tóxicas y pueden provocar problemas de reproducción y desarrollo, afectar el sistema inmunitario, interferir con hormonas y causar cáncer en humanos.

Production

Non-renewable natural resources are used to produce polystyrene, since it is a plastic derived from petroleum. Regarding the production process and its ecological footprint, one of the main concerns is the emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the atmosphere.[5]​ It is worth mentioning that the production processes of products such as construction irons, thermal glasses for drinks and packaging for household appliances have never been responsible for such release of CFCs.[6]​ These processes use pentane and not chlorofluorocarbons and therefore are not subject to the regulations of the Montreal protocol and other similar ones.[7]​ Following the discovery of the ozone hole, it was not necessary to make changes to the expanded polystyrene production process.

There is a different process called extrusion expanded polystyrene (XPS), which is used only to produce objects such as food trays, hamburger boxes, and disposable plates, cups, and bowls.[8]​ In the past, certain extruded polystyrene products were made with chemicals that released gases that contributed to the enlargement of the ozone hole. Nowadays, as awareness of this problem has been raised, alternative production processes for these products have been successfully implemented around the world, replacing harmful substances in the atmosphere.[9]​.

Use and end of life

Expanded polystyrene is 100% reusable to form blocks of the same material and is also recyclable to manufacture raw materials for other types of products. Furthermore, since it has a high calorific value and does not contain gases from the CFC group, it can be safely incinerated in energy recovery plants.[10]​ It is not desirable to pour it into landfills since this material does not degrade easily.[5]​

Depending on the characteristics (mainly size and shape) of an expanded polystyrene object and the environment that surrounds it, degradation can take from a few months to more than 500 years. An expanded polystyrene cup exposed to solar energy, wind, rain, etc. It will degrade in a short time, while a similar glass that is buried in a landfill will take much longer, 50 years on average. The recycling symbol for polystyrene is the triangle with the number 6 and the acronym PS.[11]​[12]​ The main method to recycle polystyrene has been used for decades and consists of mechanically breaking up the material and then mixing it with new material and thus forming EPS blocks that can contain up to 50% recycled material. There are currently other technologies for recycling such as mechanical densification, which consists of applying mechanical and thermal energy to foams to convert them into compact particles that can be transported more efficiently. Methods are also studied to dissolve the foams in special solvents and thus facilitate their transportation and reprocessing.[13]​.

One of the main environmental problems is the use of disposable cups of any material, since they are discarded mixed with the rest of the waste and it is very difficult to separate them for recycling. In the city of Los Angeles, an EPS collection program was implemented that allows this waste to be recycled properly.[14] About one hundred cities in the United States have banned the use of disposable polystyrene foam cups, without taking into account that cardboard cups require a large amount of resources to manufacture, cannot be recycled because they are coated and take more than 300 years to degrade in modern landfills.[15] Among these cities are: Portland "Portland (Oregon)"), Berkeley "Berkeley (California)") and Oakland "Oakland (California)").[16] Some companies have unilaterally banned polystyrene in their packaging; such is the case of the video game console manufacturer Nintendo.[17]​.

In Valencia, Spain, the Fallas monuments of the Fallas or ninots are mainly made of this material, which provides great versatility during molding and an increase in brightness in the paint. On the other hand, when the monuments burn on the last day of the festivities, the pollution generated reaches toxic levels. Therefore, responsible use is recommended so that the environmental impact is as low as possible.

Importance of thermal insulation in reducing emissions

Polystyrene, being one of the best thermal insulators, is widely used in the construction of energy-saving buildings. A building properly insulated with Styrofoam can reduce the energy used to air condition it by up to 40%. In this way, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

There is also fear that polystyrene affects the reproductive health of laboratory animals.[18] Although there are no conclusive studies in this regard, there is a Greenpeace report that includes styrene among the substances that affect reproductive health. According to polystyrene manufacturers, the residual levels of styrene in the final product are minimal, and since it is a volatile substance, they evaporate.[1]​[2]​[19]​[6]​[20]​[8]​.

According to a 1986 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, polystyrene ranked as the fifth-largest chemical producing hazardous waste. There is a report from said agency on polystyrene, available online.[21]​.

The Aragonese music group Los Gandules performed an ode to expanded polystyrene in their song That crazy material using as a base the song "libertad sin ira", by the Spanish musical group Jarcha "Jarcha (band)").

Luis Alberto Spinetta, Argentine singer-songwriter and guitarist, made an instrumental song called Telgopor in honor of his keyboardist friend Diego Rapoport, included on the album 18' del Sol.