The harm of expanded polystyrene: myths and reality. Is there any harm from expanded polystyrene (styrofoam)? Styrofoam environmental health

Most people, thinking about the use of a particular building material, first of all want to find out how safe it is for the environment and people who may be in close proximity to it. This is really very important point, since many modern building materials, due to their ability to emit harmful vapors, can only be used for exterior finish premises.

Quite often, people who want to insulate a room are wondering if polystyrene, which has excellent thermal insulation properties, is harmful.

Characteristics of foam and its scope

In order to understand whether foam is harmful, you must first understand its composition and manufacturing method. Among other things, it is necessary to consider the scope of the material, since it is the ways in which the material is used that will reveal possible effects on humans.

Despite the fact that some manufacturers claim that the foam is environmentally pure material, yet the method of its production is far from the concept of "environmentally friendly". In the production of polystyrene, high-temperature fluids are used, including methylene chloride and pentane, which are necessary for the process of foaming polystyrene.

After foaming, a sufficient number of pores are formed, that is, balls that are constituent parts foam sheets. For polymerization, that is, the transformation of pores into solid elements, highly toxic substances, including styrene, but during any reaction there is still a small amount of reagents that did not enter into the reaction and retained their original toxic properties.

After polymerization, the resulting round elements are soldered together into a dense mass at a temperature of 140-175°C and subsequently cut into plates of the required size.

However, it should be noted that if the material was prepared without violating the technology, then the amount of such free reagents is very small. Thus, the final product fully complies with all available Russian and international sanitary standards. Polyfoam is used in many areas, and not only in construction. There are many ways to use foam:

• external wall insulation;
• internal wall insulation;
• arrangement of sound insulation;
• construction of houses;
• polystyrene as a packaging material.

This is not all areas of application of foam. It should be noted right away that an important condition for the safe use of polystyrene foam as a heater is careful observance of the instructions for use. The thing is that polymerization, which is carried out during the manufacture of this material, can also occur in reverse direction, for example, when the material is exposed to ultraviolet rays, high temperature and some other factors.

Polymer decomposition always occurs with the release of a significant amount of highly toxic substances, including formaldehyde and benzaldehyde, which, in combination with styrene particles, can adversely affect human health, and in some cases lead to the appearance of mutations in children during fetal development.

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The Dangers of Using Styrofoam Inside Your Home

The main disadvantage of polystyrene is its combustibility, so it cannot be used in ventilated facades.

So, polystyrene as a heater, which is considered absolutely safe by default, can still have negative impact per person under certain conditions. It should be said right away that polystyrene is harmful to health only if the technique of using this material is neglected.

The use of such material for insulating a house from the inside requires compliance with all installation rules, as well as some precautions, because this material can not be used everywhere. While Styrofoam has excellent heat and sound insulation properties and is reasonably priced, there are still some dangers associated with using it inside a home to consider.

Styrofoam is completely safe only if it is installed correctly.

That is, the material is safe when it is part of an insulating sandwich, where it has little contact with air, they do not fall on it. Sun rays and there is no chance that it will fall chemical substances that can lead to its decomposition and the release of harmful substances into the air.

However, many who want to take advantage of the excellent properties of this material deliberately neglect the installation technology, which significantly increases the risk of harmful substances entering the air. Although in fairness it should be noted that even in this case, the amount of toxic substances will be so small that it will not harm the body. The harm of polystyrene to health when it is used to insulate a house from the inside lies elsewhere:

Styrofoam is completely impervious to steam, so mold can appear in the house.

1. The appearance of mold. If the material is not properly attached to the wall, a space forms between it and the wall where condensation accumulates, which is an ideal environment for mold and fungi. These microorganisms not only harm the walls, but can also cause the development of many serious diseases in humans, including endocarditis.
2. Fire hazard. Despite the fact that the foam intended for insulation is not combustible, since it consists of 90% air, nevertheless, when exposed to high temperatures, it begins to melt, releasing a significant amount of highly toxic, potent substances that can lead to a quick loss of consciousness. Thus, in case of fire, a person who finds himself in the room during the melting of the foam is less likely to get out unharmed.
3. An increase in the number of rodents in the house. The sellers of this material claim that rodents do not eat foam and diligently avoid it. In fact, rodents do not eat foam, but willingly gnaw it to equip their nests.

Thus, the harm of polystyrene is largely indirect. At correct installation foam plastic, all possible harmful moments can be minimized, so this material can be used even indoors without harm to health.

Any modern house in our region should be warm - this is an axiom. Each owner wants a house, a cottage with an economical expenditure of funds for its heating and maintenance. Anyone would agree with that, and so would I. In search of a project for my future home, I often saw in the drawings that the elements houses are being insulated Styrofoam and polystyrene foam. This "wonder" stuff is everywhere:

• filled in the thickness of the floor
• inserted into the walls
• glued to the plinth
• hiding in the blind area of ​​the house
• does not allow heat to escape through the roof of the house
• saves heat hidden by plaster

and many more places that I did not immediately remember.
Yes, all of this is great and good. Already confident that this is what I need for my home, I suddenly came across one of the posts in which a person writes that this heat-saving material is harmful to health. Styrofoam and polystyrene emit toxins that must be constantly removed from the room so that its concentration does not exceed a dangerous limit. To be honest, at the first moment I joined the opinion of that audience of housebuilders who expressed such an opinion: so what if toxins, I’ll stick it outside the wall of the house (screw it). The thickness of the wall is more than 40 cm and I will plaster it on top, let it stand out on the street. Well, and also ventilation at home ... But based on my own experience - they don’t joke with health, and you don’t need much until trouble - I decided to study this issue a little deeper.

So I draw conclusions from the studied material and write it down on this page in order to remember myself and other builders of my house to save time:

1. The walls of the house perfectly pass all the toxins released by polystyrene foam through the entire thickness of the wall and concrete floor along with the air. A wall made of timber and logs allows air and, accordingly, toxins to pass even better. Yes, this also applies to, for example, roofing material and glassine - they all exude resin aromas, and of course this smell does not bring health.

2. Styrofoam and Styrofoam are harmful and can cause damage to health. Decomposition over the period of service (~20 years) reaches 10-15%. In this case, the release of the monomer (i.e., styrene) is 65% of the decomposed substance. Styrene is the most dangerous of the entire set of substances that slowly destroys the health of residents. But he is not alone. Here is the company:

• carbon monoxide
• carbon dioxide
• phenol
• ammonia
• Nitrogen oxide
• formaldehyde
• benzene
• and of course styrene.

3. Styrofoam and Styrofoam start intensively collapse (subject to destruction) and lose their thermal insulation properties after about 15-20 years with the release of a large amount of styrene and other toxins.

Particular attention should be paid to styrene, in which the value of the MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION daily is 1500 times less than, for example, that of carbon monoxide. In the process of polymerization (obtaining polystyrene), toxicity is theoretically eliminated.

But, the fact is that, firstly, the polymerization process does not go to the end, by 97-98%, and before using polystyrene, it is necessary to subject it to “degassing”; secondly, the polymerization process is reversible, therefore, polymers constantly decompose (destruction process) under the influence of light, oxygen, ozone, water, mechanical and ionizing influences, and especially under the influence of heat. The combination of these factors leads to a relatively short service life of polymers - an average of 15-20 years, after which they turn into powder.

Expanded polystyrene is also subject to destruction: decomposition during the service life reaches 10-15%. In this case, the release of the monomer (i.e., styrene) is 65% of the decomposed substance.

If we imagine that polystyrene 160 mm thick (in a three-layer panel) will last 20 years, then during this period each sq. meter outer wall will release 3 mg/h of styrene. When 10% of this amount enters the room and air is supplied in the amount of 30 m3/m2hh (according to ), the styrene concentration will be 0.0075 mg/m3. With a temporary stay in such a room and an orientation to the daily MPC = 0.002 mg/m3, the MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATIONS for styrene will be exceeded by 3.75 times. For a dwelling with a residence time of 25 years, the value of the MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATIONS for styrene according to the table should be reduced by 594 times and be 0.0000034 mg/m3.

Such a low value of the MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATIONS for styrene and, accordingly, the multiple excess of its MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION standards in the room is caused by special properties styrene. This substance belongs to condensed aromatic compounds that have one or more benzene nuclei in their molecule, and, like similar substances (benzene, benzpyrene, benzanthracene), it has increased cumulative properties: it accumulates in the liver and is not excreted. Substances of this group are particularly dangerous. For example, benzpyrene is active carcinogen with MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATIONS 0.000001 mg/m3.

A. When using toxic substances in housing construction, their MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATIONS should be reduced by tens and hundreds of times in accordance with their cumulative properties.

B. Among the substances contained in building materials, the most cumulative has styrene(x \u003d 0.7), which requires a decrease in the MPC when using it in housing construction by approximately 600 times, i.e., setting the MPC at the level of 0.0000033 mgy/m3, which is equivalent to a complete ban on the use of styrene in housing construction.

B.V. Gusev,
corresponding member RAS,

V.M. Dementiev,
Prof., Dr. tech. Sciences,

I.I. peacekeepers,
cand. chem. Sciences

source http://www.penobeton.od.ua/viewarticle.php?id=1

Bibliographic list

1. Grassi N. Chemistry of polymer degradation processes., M., 1959.
2. Skalkin F.V., Kanaev A.A., Kopp I.Z. Energy and environment. M., 1981.
3. SNiP 2.04.05-91*. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. M., 1994.
4. Shapritsky V.N. Development of MPE standards for the protection of the atmosphere: a Handbook. M., 1990.

PS Of course, I understand that almost any building material (from paint and drywall to radioactive sand) can release dangerous toxins. But I want to minimize this danger as much as possible - by removing the most dangerous elements. Well, then as they write smart people — good ventilation - in order to reduce the likelihood of exceeding all the muck that is not taken into account.

So you need to think about tributary fresh air to all premises with minimal cooling at home, and removal of exhaust air with minimal heat dissipation. This will reduce the concentration of various harmful substances. Also an interesting puzzle!

PS
It's been a while (12/21/2009 - 01/28/2014) since the publication of this note.
Decided to add a couple of lines:
It is very difficult to refuse a heater, and other solutions are more expensive for money. On the this moment decided that walls will not be insulated with foam outside, but just make them thicker. I implemented this solution in the form of silicate foam blocks 500 mm thick in the wall structure. Unfortunately, at the ebb of the jumpers, I did not find a normal solution with a replacement for another insulation, therefore I used 80 mm thick polystyrene foam in their design. I suppose that by adding a hinged facade to this design, so that the humidity of the walls is minimal and the wind blown is reduced, it will be possible to classify my house as warm according to the design of the walls. Time will tell further.

According to the standards of the International building code(IRC) expanded polystyrene, the cost of which makes this material one of the most used thermal insulators compared to others, is an environmentally friendly material. Therefore, it is considered safe for human health to use it as a heat insulator.

Extruded polystyrene foam, according to research, is a very energy efficient and safe material for human health.

Styrofoam is very energy efficient. This is also confirmed research work carried out by specialists in the USA, who came to a certain result, consisting in the fact that this material is completely safe, and it also has all the necessary thermal insulation qualities.

Expanded polystyrene extruded: harm or environmental friendliness

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Advantages of thermal insulation material

The superiority of expanded polystyrene is its cost, which will take not the last place when deciding on the choice of material. Compared to many other heat insulators, it is the most advantageous when used from an economic point of view. Especially if you compare its undeniable advantages and compare them with its price. At the same time, expanded polystyrene is a durable and elastic material, which greatly simplifies the installation process. So, the heat insulator is given any shape when cutting it without the help of special tools. To do this, it is enough to use a simple saw or an ordinary knife.

This material is non-radioactive and non-toxic. It does not contain toxic fibers. For these reasons, working with it does not pose a certain danger to human health. Expanded polystyrene during its transportation, installation, operation and dismantling can be handled without the use of additional protective equipment. Touching this type of building material is not capable of causing irritation. The material is safe for the eyes and respiratory tract human or animals.

In the process of working with the material, it is not necessary to use any protective equipment, that is, gloves, special goggles, special clothing, masks that provide oxygen. The heat insulator is widely used in transport, civil and industrial construction. During the entire period of operation of the material, it has undergone various changes in its composition and structure. Wherein beneficial features heat insulators were improved, and unnecessary ones were already absent.

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What are the disadvantages of using a heat insulator?

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Expanded polystyrene heat insulator: benefit or harm

Extruded polystyrene foam, like any other material, has its own pros and cons, which you need to know about those who opt for this insulation. It must be emphasized that not only positive, but also negative aspects of any building material are based solely on its properties.

Extruded polystyrene foam consists of granules that are glued together at very high temperatures. The granules contain air. In this case, the structure contains the main quality of the material. The air contained in the cells is maximally capable of retaining heat, therefore, among all natural materials he will be one of the best.

The high performance level of expanded polystyrene is combined with its high protective characteristics, allowing you to protect the house from the cold, the penetration of insects, bacteria, moisture. For insects, this material is of no interest, since it is inedible.

The cellular structure has given the material almost everything, but it is worth highlighting the main thing - the material perfectly fulfills the main task, while solving at the same time the difficulties that arise associated with protection in conditions high humidity or an obstacle to destruction wooden elements houses from pests.

There are also certain aspects in the use of the material that you need to be aware of, as it is not natural and prevents the surface of the structure from "breathing". With normal ventilation, it is very easy to organize the necessary movement of air flows in the room, but the walls themselves will not “breathe”. Here, first of all, the properties of the heat insulator play an important role, which do not allow it to pass air, which excludes its circulation.

Some believe that when burning, the material is capable of emitting dark smoke. Although without a source of fire, this heat insulator will not burn, forming smoke, which can only appear during prolonged burning of expanded polystyrene. Usually firefighters arrive much sooner than complete combustion of the material occurs. Largest part building materials can ignite much faster than polystyrene foam.

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Conclusions on the environmental damage of Styrofoam

We can conclude that extruded polystyrene foam should not be afraid, because it is a modern, high-quality and harmless material.

Expanded polystyrene and all its varieties are quite popular. Is this material as safe when used for the purpose of thermal insulation of a house as it is presented by manufacturers?

It has been established that this material does not immediately provide harmful effect, but after a long period of time.

The normal temperature level causes the material to break apart vigorously. In this case, a large amount of poisons and carcinogens are released, which are unsafe for human health. In particular, expanded polystyrene is unsafe in case of fires, since the smoke that is released contains a large amount of hazardous organic compounds.

Scientists have recognized expanded polystyrene as an extremely unsafe material when it burns, which has led to conflicting judgments from manufacturers who seek to market the material according to low prices. In the event of a fire, a person is able to get poisoned by poisonous smoke along with volatile substances from the combustion of penoplex.

AT modern conditions The requirements for buildings under construction have changed significantly and are seriously different from those that were imposed on objects a few decades ago. If earlier it was quite common to erect buildings without thermal insulation, then at present, in the process of constructing objects without thermal insulation, the object is not handed over. Everyone understands that the house or industrial premises, which has good insulation, allow to reduce heat losses to minimum values, which makes it possible to save energy resources for heating.

When the task arises to insulate a particular building, each owner is faced with the problem of choice. If he starts such an operation for the first time, then it is difficult for him to decide on the material for insulation. If you turn to Russian market, then there you can find big choice various materials. Their use allows to provide high performance of the building in terms of thermal insulation.

Many people know about such material as mineral wool. It is most often used in the insulation of buildings. However, there are other materials besides them. One of them is penoplex. It is used not only for the insulation of buildings. It is also used in solving problems of thermal insulation of the balcony. However, before making a choice in his favor, you need to get to know him. positive qualities. It is also worth learning about the negative aspects associated with its use for insulation. Unfortunately, he also has them, like any other material. About the main disadvantages of such a heater as penoplex and will be discussed later in this material.

Starting listing the cons of this material, it should be noted as the main thing that this heat-insulating material has a low resistance to fire. Experts consider this minus to be one of the main ones. In general, a rather ambiguous situation develops with foam-based materials. Insulators included in this group have different degrees of flammability, depending on their modification.

Insulation in its pure form is a material that is prone to easy ignition. From an open flame, it quickly ignites. Therefore, this material without additives in the construction industry is used in rare cases. Knowing about this disadvantage, manufacturers seek to minimize it. Therefore, in the production of this insulation, special additives are introduced into its composition. They are called flame retardants. They should be understood as substances due to which the combustibility of the material for insulation is reduced. Insulators based on foam plastic with flame retardants are classified by experts as self-extinguishing.

The combustion process of such a heater is accompanied by the formation of black smoke, which contains a large number of toxic substances harmful to human health. It should be understood that the material with flame retardants is quite expensive. In addition, it must be borne in mind that toxic substances are present in the composition of certain types of fire retardants that manufacturers use in the production of materials.

Another disadvantage that presses for foam plastic is its short service life.. Many consumers, when choosing a material, among the main requirements put forward such as a long service life. It must be practical and have a significant period of operation of the facility.

In our country, the standards stipulate that any insulation must have a service life of at least 25 years. If we push away from the information of manufacturers thermal insulation materials based on expanded polystyrene, then their products fulfill this requirement. Note that certain types of insulation can have a service life of 50 years or even more.

Using foam for insulation, one should not forget that it is a vapor-permeable material. However, this parameter has a low value. All this translates into the fact that he is not able to remove steam from wooden structures. The consequence of this is the formation of fungi on their surface. They render on designs from natural material permissive impact, leading to a reduction in the service life of the building itself. It is also necessary to know that although polystyrene foam does not act as an optimal environment for the development of fungi. However, they easily appear on it and can breed into large colonies. Especially if the insulation is in contact with a structure that is made of wood.

Another disadvantage of this insulation is its low safety and rather low properties in terms of environmental friendliness. If you take a heater in its pure form, then it is not harmful to health. However, it is quite rare to find it on the supplement market. Basically, manufacturers offer products that have already been supplemented. And they contain substances that are toxic to a certain extent. This means that they affect human health. Negative influence. And besides this, they do not have the best effect on the environment.

AT modern construction as a heater, a lot of different materials are used, which differ in their qualities and technical specifications. At the same time, users have recently been interested in the question of which insulation is not harmful to health.

This is due to the fact that there are various rumors about the release of harmful substances during the operation of a particular material.

Especially often this issue is raised at the mention of foam. This state of affairs is due to the fact that this material is used more than other heaters. That is why it is necessary to determine all the properties of the foam and its effect on the human body.

Characteristics, properties and scope

To determine the harm of polystyrene as a heater, it is necessary to consider its properties, composition and method of manufacture. Special attention should be paid to the scope, since it is it that is the decisive factor in identifying the impact on a person.

insulation

As a material for protection from the cold, foam is almost indispensable.

• Its porous structure can significantly reduce thermal conductivity.
• Styrofoam perfectly holds its shape, which none of the heaters in this price category can boast of.
• It is more than 90% air, so it does not burn and does not support this process.
• In its manufacture, the minimum amount of styrene-containing substances is used, which is considered a decisive factor in determining environmental friendliness.
• The maximum service life of foam plastic exceeds 50 years. This is evidenced by the installation instructions and the quality certificate attached to most products made from this material.

Advice! This type insulation absorbs moisture very well and at the same time loses its properties. Therefore, it must be protected from environmental influences.

Isolation of toxic substances

It is believed that the foam, when burned or strongly heated, releases styrene, which is very harmful to the body and in its pure form can become a real poison. However, the harmfulness of basalt insulation is sometimes much higher, especially if violations were made during its manufacture, which leads to the decision to use a less dangerous material, although it emits unnecessary substances.

It is worth noting that styrene begins to stand out only when heated above 40 degrees. It must be remembered that the foam does not burn, and if a fire occurs, then there are many other materials in the room that are no less toxic in such a situation. However, this is why you should not use this material to insulate the roof, especially if it is made of metal and the house is in warm weather. climatic zones(See also the article).

Thus, it becomes clear that it is quite safe to insulate a loggia or other premises with foam. In the same cases when he will allocate harmful substances, there are many other materials, in the form vinyl wallpaper and plastic interior items, which can cause more damage.

Advice! It is not necessary to use foam for insulation, which has already been in use. Various harmful substances from the old place may remain on it.

This material is very popular with rodents. What can indicate the absence of toxicity

Application area

Determining the degree of harmfulness this material it is necessary to consider the places of its use.

• First of all, it is worth understanding that indoor foam is used only when insulation is performed. plastic windows, or entrance doors. In all other cases, cheaper materials are used. Therefore, its impact on humans is minimal.
• Separately, it is worth noting the insulation of the walls in contact with the street. The fact is that it must be produced only from the outside (see also the article). Otherwise, condensation will appear between the insulation and the wall, mold and fungus will form.
• When plasterboard partitions are erected, it does not matter at all whether it is harmful basalt insulation or whether the foam will release styrene. Both of these materials are supplied in this case in such conditions that their use is not only the most optimal solution but also environmentally friendly.
• The only unsafe place to use this insulation is a metal roof. However, taking into account the fact that the foam plastic separates the waterproofing layer from the immediate incandescent area, and the vapor barrier film separates it from the living room, then its use for these purposes is quite acceptable.

Advice! During installation, it is necessary to protect the insulation from moisture. Otherwise, it will completely lose its properties.

Research and practice

Many novice craftsmen, producing installation work with their own hands, seek advice from specialists or the Internet. However, on the issue of the dangers of this material, there is no unequivocal opinion of the masters and reliable research by specialists.

At the same time, practice has shown that the location of the insulation and external influences on it cannot completely exclude the release of harmful substances. True, the probability of such cases is so small and requires certain conditions that it is not worth taking it seriously.

It is also necessary to remember that the price of other environmentally friendly heaters is very high, and their natural components also emit harmful substances during combustion or strong heating.