Styrene is primarily a synthetic chemical that is used extensively in the manufacture of plastics, rubber, and resins. About 90,000 workers, including those who make boats, tubs, and showers, are potentially exposed to styrene. Health effects from exposure to styrene may involve the central nervous system and include complaints of headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, malaise, difficulty in concentrating, and a feeling of intoxication. The National Toxicological Program’s (NTP) 12th Report on Carcinogens classifies it as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies styrene as a potential human carcinogen. It is also known as vinylbenzene, ethenylbenzene, cinnamene, or phenylethylene.

Exposures to styrene are addressed in specific standards for the general and construction industries.

OSHA Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to styrene.

Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart H, Hazardous materials
• 1910.106, Flammable and combustible liquids
  


• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
• 1910.1000, Air contaminants
• Table Z-2

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart D, Occupational health and environmental controls
• 1926.55, Gases, vapors, fumes, dusts, and mists
• Appendix A, Gases, vapors, fumes, dusts, and mists

Preambles to Final Rules

• Air Contaminants (1989)
• VI. Health Effects Discussion and Determination of Final PEL. Contains a discussion of styrene.
• VII. Feasibility and Regulatory Analyses
• Search all available preambles to final rules.

Standard Interpretations

• Application of 29 CFR 1910.106 and/or NFPA 30-1987 to Flammable Liquid Storage and Dispensing Operations of Polyester Resin. (1988, May 12). Classifies uninhibited styrene in polyester resin as a Class 1A liquid.
  


• Search all available standard interpretations.

Hazard Recognition

Health effects of styrene include irritation of the skin, eyes, and the upper respiratory tract. Acute exposure may also result in gastrointestinal effects. Chronic exposure affects the central nervous system showing symptoms such as depression, headache, fatigue, weakness, and may cause minor effects on kidney function. The following references aid in recognizing occupational hazards and health effects associated with styrene.

• Styrene. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1994, May). Provides an Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) document that includes acute toxicity data for styrene.
  


• Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Styrene. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 83-119, (1983, September). Includes health effects, hazard recognition, and worker protection information for styrene.
  


• Report on Carcinogens (RoC). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Toxicology Program (NTP). Identifies and discusses agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a health hazard due to their carcinogenicity.
• Styrene. [362 KB PDF, 9 pages].
• Styrene-7,8-Oxide [166 KB PDF, 2 pages].
• ToxFAQs for Styrene. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (2010, September). Answers the most frequently asked health questions about styrene.
  


• Styrene (CASRN 100-42-5). Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), (2008, July 10). Discusses the health effects of styrene.
  


• Styrene. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lists styrene as a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) under the National Emissions Standard Hazardous Air Pollutants section of its Clean Air Act.
  


• Consumer Factsheet on: Styrene [165 KB PDF, 3 pages]. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Discusses the effects of styrene in public or private drinking water supplies.
  


• Styrene Monomer [35 KB PDF, 6 pages]. New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Hazardous Sustance Fact Sheet, (2006, August). Provides a summary source of information of all potential and most severe health hazards that may result from styrene exposure.
  


• Styrene [57 KB PDF, 6 pages]. California Department of Public Health, Hazard Evaluation System and Information Service (HESIS), (1990, May). Includes information on health effects, testing, and legal exposure limits of styrene.
  


• Chronic Toxicology Summary: Styrene [49 KB PDF, 13 pages]. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), State of California, (2003, August). Provides a summary of chronic reference exposure levels adopted by OEHHA.
  


• Code of Practice: Styrene [260 KB PDF, 42 pages]. Government of Western Australia, (1996, December).

Exposure Evaluation

The following references provide information on evaluating occupational exposures to styrene.

• Chemical Sampling Information (CSI). OSHA, (1999, January 14). Presents, in concise form, data on a large number of chemical substances that may be encountered in industrial hygiene investigations. Basic reference for industrial hygienists engaged in OSHA field activity.
• Styrene
• International Chemical Safety Cards: Styrene. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (2006, April 4). Summarizes essential health and safety information on styrene for use at the "shop floor" level by workers and employers.
  


• Kolstad HA, Sonderskoy, J et. al. Company-level, semi-quantitative assessment of occupational styrene exposure when individual data are not available. Annals of Occupational Hygiene. 2005 Jan 7;49(2):155-65.
  


• Liljelind I, Rappaport S, et al. Exposure assessment of monoterpenes and styrene: a comparison of air sampling and biomonitoring. Occupational Environmental Medicine. 2003 Aug;60(8):599-603. Presents findings on styrene exposure measurement variability among sawmill workers and reinforced plastics workers, using both personal air samplers and biological monitoring. Results suggest, "personal air samplers provide data with similar or superior quality to urinary metabolites as measures of exposure to these monoterpenes in sawmills and styrene in reinforced plastics factories."
  


• Liljelind IE, et al. Comparison of self-assessment and expert assessment of occupational exposure to chemicals. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2001 Oct;27(5):311-7.

Analytical Methods

OSHA

OSHA has developed and validated methods for use by the Salt Lake Technical Center Laboratory. The following standard methods have been adopted by many laboratories for the analysis of chemical compounds.

• Divinylbenzene, Ethylvinylbenzene, Styrene. Analytical Method 89, (1991, July).
  


• Styrene. Analytical Method 9, (1980, February). Note: This method has been superceded by Method 89.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

• Hydrocarbons, Aromatic [40 KB PDF, 7 pages]. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method No. 1501, (2003, March 15). Provides a method for peak, ceiling, and time weighted average determinations of aromatic hydrocarbons.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Determination of Styrene in Latex Styrene-Butadiene Rubber, Through Gas Chromatography [49 KB PDF, 5 pages]. Method No. 312A, (1997, March 17). Describes a procedure for determining parts per million (ppm) styrene monomer (CAS No. 100-42-5) in aqueous samples, including latex samples and styrene stripper water.
  


• Determination of Residual Styrene in Styrene-Butadiene (SBR) Rubber Latex by Capillary Gas Chromatography [22 KB PDF, 7 pages]. Method No. 312B, (1997, March 17). Applicable to SBR latex solutions and quantitatively determines residual styrene concentrations in SBR latex solutions at levels from 80 to 1200 parts per million (ppm).
  


• Determination of Residual Styrene in SBR Latex Produced by Emulsion Polymerization [33 KB PDF, 8 pages]. Method No. 312C, (1997, March 17). Applicable for determining the amount of residual styrene in styrene-butadiene (SBR) rubber latex as produced in the emulsion polymerization process.

Possible Solutions

Styrene exposure is best controlled through the use of engineering and work practices. Some operations (e.g., certain open molders using manual techniques) have shown that engineering and work practice controls are not practical for limiting exposure below 100 ppm. For situations where engineering controls are not feasible, additional protection in such as respiratory protection and personal protective equipment (PPE) should be provided. The following reference provides possible solutions for styrene hazards in the workplace.

• Code of Practice: Styrene [57 KB PDF, 42 pages]. Government of Western Australia, (1996, December). Provides a brief description of short and long term health effects of styrene exposure.
  


• For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
• Hazardous and Toxic Substances
• Indoor Air Quality

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

• Hazardous and Toxic Substances
  


• Indoor Air Quality
  


• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  


• Respiratory Protection

Other Resources

• Styrene. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lists styrene as a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) under the National Emissions Standard Hazardous Air Pollutants section of its Clean Air Act.

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