What Is Styrene?
ATSDR describes styrene as a colorless liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell, widely used to make plastics and rubber. Products containing styrene include insulation, fiberglass, plastic pipes, automobile parts, shoes, drinking cups and other food containers, and carpet backing.
ATSDR says exposure is most likely from breathing indoor air contaminated with styrene vapors from building materials, tobacco smoke and use of copying machines, and may also occur by breathing automobile exhaust. It says breathing high levels, more than 1000 times higher than levels normally found in the environment, may cause nervous system effects such as changes in color vision, tiredness, feeling drunk, slowed reaction time, concentration problems or balance problems.
On cancer, the National Toxicology Program lists styrene as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, based on limited evidence from studies in humans, sufficient evidence from studies in experimental animals and supporting data on mechanisms of carcinogenesis. An IARC working group that met in March 2018 found sufficient evidence in experimental animals and concluded that styrene is probably carcinogenic to humans, its Group 2A.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceATSDR describes styrene as a colorless liquid that evaporates easily with a sweet smell, used to make plastics and rubber including insulation, plastic pipes, drinking cups and carpet backing. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says styrene exposure is most likely from breathing indoor air contaminated by building materials, tobacco smoke and copying machines, and may also come from automobile exhaust. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says breathing styrene at more than 1000 times normal environmental levels may cause nervous system effects such as changes in color vision, tiredness, feeling drunk, slowed reaction time or balance problems. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says the National Toxicology Program listed styrene as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen in the Report on Carcinogens, Twelfth Edition, released on June 10, 2011. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceThe National Toxicology Program says styrene is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on limited evidence in humans, sufficient evidence in experimental animals and supporting mechanistic data. National Toxicology Program, Report on Carcinogens ↗
- Government sourceAn IARC working group that met in March 2018 found sufficient evidence in experimental animals and concluded that styrene is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). IARC, World Health Organization ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.