Underground Construction - September 2021 - 38

PART 3
STEPS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
HAPPENS TO STYRENE ONCE IT
ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT
By NASSCO Technical Advisory Council Members Lynn Osborn, P.E.
and Kaleel Rahaim
Styrene does not remain in its natural state as it
enters the environment. Changes to the styrene
molecule occur whether the styrene is in water
or in air. When styrene is in air as used in an air/
steam cured CIPP, it has a half-life of 7 to 16 hours.
Half-life implies that in that amount of time onehalf
of the listed chemical will degrade to the next
evolutionary product. Half-lives in water are quite
variable depending on the nature of the stream,
river or lake but generally significantly longer than
in air. Styrene has a relatively low solubility in water,
and a large fraction of the styrene released into
water for a water-cured CIPP will volatilize into the
atmosphere.1
As a result, styrene generally does
not persist in water because of its biodegradability
and volatility.2
The photodegradation of styrene results in a TCA
Cycle (Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle) as represented by
the chart below.
O
H
monooxygenase
styA/B
styrene
styrene
styrene
oxide
styC
styrene oxide
isomerase
O
phenylacetaldehyde
styD
phenylacetaldehyde
dehydrogenase
The stable product of the photodegradation of styrene
monomer is phenylacetic acid, an ingredient in
many fragrances with a honey-like odor. It is a type
of plant hormone that is found predominantly in
fruits and is an insignificant risk to human health or
the environment.
As we better understand styrene, we proceed
with investigations in the lab and field to promote
safety of workers and the public when CIPP is
used to renew deteriorated pipes. The Trenchless
Technology Center's (TTC's) Phase 2 Study found
that of the many VOCs present in emissions on
CIPP steam cure job sites, styrene was the only
compound of interest found at concentrations
that had the potential to pose health risks. There
were two locations of concern on the job site, the
exhaust manhole and the transport truck immediately
after opening the doors. Safety procedures
at the exhaust manhole are quite manageable, and
This is the third in a series of articles by NASSCO's Technical Advisory Council (TAC) discussing the
health and safety aspects of styrene as used in cured-in-place pipe (CIPP). The first article focused
on styrene emissions while the second article looked at using CIPP in sensitive environments. This
article examines what happens to styrene once it enters the environment, and how we are moving
forward with laboratory and field studies for further understanding of mitigation methods to better
protect workers and the public.

Underground Construction - September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Construction - September 2021

Contents
Underground Construction - September 2021 - Cover1
Underground Construction - September 2021 - Cover2
Underground Construction - September 2021 - Contents
Underground Construction - September 2021 - 4
Underground Construction - September 2021 - 5
Underground Construction - September 2021 - 6
Underground Construction - September 2021 - 7
Underground Construction - September 2021 - 8
Underground Construction - September 2021 - 9
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