STYRENE PRODUCTION, USE, AND HUMAN EXPOSURE

Styrene is an extremely important commodity chemical used extensively in the manufacture of numerous polymers and copolymers, including poly styrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), styrene-acrylonitriie (SAN), styrene-butadiene latex, and styrene-butadiene rubber. Styrene is a component of cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust, and it may o ccur naturally at low levels in various types of foods. The highest po tential human exposures to styrene occur in occupational settings, par ticularly those involving the production of large glass-reinforced pol yester products such as boats, which require manual lay-up and spray-u p operations. Substantially lower occupational exposures occur in styr ene monomer and polymer production facilities. The general public is e xposed to very low concentrations of styrene in ambient air, indoor ai r, food, and drinking water.