Polystyrene

Though commonly referred to as Styrofoam cups, no Styrofoam is used to make food or drink related foam products. Most common foam cups these days are made of a chemical compound called polystyrene. This is polymer version of the chemical styrene.

Styrene

Styrene is a chemical with a long list of descriptions. At room temperature styrene is a liquid which is oily, toxic and flammable. Styrene occurs naturally in small quantities in plants but is most often made from petroleum. It can be used to make plastics through polymerization.

Migration

One of the dangers of using styrene in foam cups has been that this chemical has been shown to migrate from the cup into the beverage the cup contains. This is not deadly instantly, but over time, it can cause health problems for those who regularly use styrene foam cups.

Factors

When styrene cups contain hot beverages or those which are high in acidic content, such as tea with lemon, that effects the makeup of the styrene. Hotter, more acidic beverages will suck styrene out of the polystyrene foam cup and the styrene will build up in the body over time.

Other Uses

The same styrene that goes into foam cups is used in a variety of other household products, including disposable utensils, egg cartons, soup and salad bowls, packing peanuts, inserts for packing, television and computer cabinets and compact disc jewel boxes.