By Banji Ayoola
0ndo State Environmental Protection Agency, 0SEPA, has alerted the public of the danger of the use of styrofoam for serving food as it embarks on a sensitisation campaign to the nooks and crannies of Akure, the state capital.
A statement by the agency’s spokesman, Mr’Bisi Agboola, said the campaign is to warn residents of the state on the need “to be wary of the use of styrofoam because of the inherent danger and health hazards to the body.”
He said the agency also harps on the danger involved in exposing water and soft drinks in plastic containers to direct sunlight.
According to the statement, the agency’s compliance team, led by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Princess Korede Giwa, said: “The government will not sit back to watch food vendors and traders engaging in adverse practices capable of jeopardizing the health of residents.
“Styrofoam plates said to be a product from styrene contain petrol chemical substance and are capable of causing cancer, hearing loss, fatigue, weakness of the body and kidney malfunction.
“Plastic bottles and styrofoam wastes if not properly disposed of, can cause blockage to the drainage system and deface the aesthetic beauty of our cities.
“The team thereby warned sellers of styrofoam plates to food vendors to desist from the act forthwith as the government may soon ban such sales.”
