Styrafoam - bad for you with hot liquid ?!


Question: I heard a while back that if you heated liquid (coffee, tea, etc.) in a styrafoam cup that the hot water will loosen chemicals in the strafoam and be unhealthy.

Is this true, or urban legend ?


Answers: I heard a while back that if you heated liquid (coffee, tea, etc.) in a styrafoam cup that the hot water will loosen chemicals in the strafoam and be unhealthy.

Is this true, or urban legend ?

Not an urban legend (stupid ot otherwise).
But also not applicable today.

At one time styrofoam was manufactured using ChloroFluroCarbons (CFCs).
Heating the styrofoam could drive off minute amounts of CFCs. although the real danger occurred when they broke down, say in landfills.

Not to worry. CFCs are no longer used in the manufacture of styrofoam.

Stupid urban legend..they claimed the wax that was put inside the cups (originally started with Cup Noodles) when heated would get into your body, cause a huge buildup of wax, which would then lead to your ultimate death. Most gums and candies are made primarily of wax as well as most cheap chocolate you buy at easter. Wax goes through your body with ease and does not clog up and cause a buildup. You have nothing to worry about.

well if you are heating water you are fine.
If you are trying to melt the cup thats when the toxins may seperate into the water.
To heat water set micro to 1 minute
To melt the cup set on 10 minutes.
see the difference

The story I have heard is that if you have hot tea in a Styrofoam cup and put lemon in the tea then the acid in the lemon chemically reacts with the cup and draws toxins out of it but as for plain tea, coffee or other drinks I have not heard of any problem.

it's not bad anymore, but it used to be a big big problem...





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