Teflon

On Wednesday, Feb 15th 2006, EPA Scientific Advisors unanimously recommended that the chemical used in the manufacturing of Teflon™ should be considered carcinogenic. The chemical in question is called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

In 2004, DuPont, the inventor of Teflon™, agreed to an out-of-court settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by about 50,000 residents who lived near its West Virginia plant. They alleged the chemical was linked to birth defects and other health hazards. DuPont™ eventually agreed to pay $50m in cash to the plaintiffs, plus $22m in legal costs, and agreed to spend $10m on special water treatment facilities to filter out PFOA.

In May 2005, DuPont received a subpoena from the US Environmental Crimes Section to turn over documents about PFOA. That followed an agreement from DuPont to settle allegations by the Environmental Protection Agency that it had failed to disclose heath data about PFOA for 20 years.

PROTECT YOURSELF

DuPont's own scientists have concluded that polymer fume fever in humans is possible at 662F, a temperature easily exceeded when a pan is preheated on a burner or placed beneath a broiler, or in a self-cleaning oven. DO NOT PREHEAT TEFLON™ PANS and use them only on your stove for limited periods of time. VENTILATE WELL and do NOT allow any burning to occur.

Young Living Magazine. Jauary 2006, published an article about the danger of Teflon™-coated cookware entitled, "Bad News is Sticking to Teflon™". It says that in the Chicago Tribune in 1987 and 1995, pet owners were warned that hundreds of birds are killed by fumes and particles from Teflon™-coated products every year.

I just went to http://www.teflon.com and here DuPont™ proclaims how great their ware is. But they do warn pet owners under the link: "Do you own a domesticated pet." In the article they warn us to keep pets out of the kitchen when cooking, not because of the poisonous Teflon™ fumes, but of the "cooking fumes, smoke and odors" commonly found in the kitchen when cooking.