For many of us, there’s nothing more anticipated in the morning than a freshly brewed cup of coffee. What makes the aroma so enticing? According to the Coffee Research Institute, the smell is due to more than 800 aromatic compounds – one of which is styrene, which occurs naturally in some plants and foods, such as coffee beans.1
While the small amount of styrene in coffee is generally considered harmless, workers exposed to styrene as part of their job may not be as fortunate.2 Alterations in vision, hearing loss and longer reaction times have been associated with styrene exposure in the workplace. Styrene vapor is also irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract.3 Many workers are exposed to styrene during the manufacture of plastics, synthetic rubber, resins and insulators.