Setec Astronomy said:
Before you have everybody throwing out their frying pans, the chemical in question is perfluorooctanoic acid, used in the manufacture of teflon and similar to the (now banned) ingredient in Scotchguard. I don't think there is any real evidence that this compound is in the finished product. (I'm not positive on this, but if there was, there wouldn't be any teflon coated cookware for sale any longer, just like you can't get original Scotchguard). My analogy would be that it's like saying that you should wear gloves when you use paste carnauba wax because it's got solvents in it, and then saying it's unsafe to touch your waxed car...which of course doesn't have the solvents any longer.
Plenty of unsafe chemicals are used to make safe products (even food) that we use every day.
And plenty of unsafe chemicals are used to make unsafe products that we use everyday.
According to DuPont's own studies and other peer reviewed studies, Teflon offgases toxic particulates at 446°F. At 680°F Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses. At temperatures that DuPont scientists claim are reached on stovetop drip pans (1000°F), non-stick coatings break down to a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB, and a chemical analog of the WWII nerve gas phosgene. Studies have shown that PFOA is in fact released as Teflon degrades. See these studies for details.
Ellis, DA., Mabury, SA., Martin, JW and Muir, DC. 2001. Thermolysis of fluoropolymers as a potential source of halogenated organic acids in the environment. Nature 412(6844): 321-4.
Machino, M. 2000. Atmospheric chemistry of CF3CF=CF2: kinetics andmechanism of its reaction with OH radicals, chlorine atoms, and ozone. J. Phys. Chem. A 104: 7255-7260 (As cited in: Ellis, DA., Mabury, SA., Martin, JW and Muir, DC. 2001. Thermolysis of fluoropolymers as a potential source of halogenated organic acids in the environment. Nature 412(6844): 321-4).
I stopped using Teflon coated pans a couple years ago when I found that just cooking with them on the range causes them to emit a vapor that kills pet birds. Like the early miners who took birds into the mines to know if the air was safe to breathe, I found that if a bird couldn't live in my kitchen I didn't want to use those pans any longer as it would not likely do me and my family any good either.
Studies have found perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used to make Teflon, in human blood, in a lot of human blood, including the blood of infants. PFOA is not just found in peoples blood near the Teflon manufacturing sites in the US. It's found in our blood all over the US. The EPA says this substance (PFOA) should be considered extremely toxic and a likely carcinogen. 96% of Americans have PFOA's in their blood. PFOA is not a naturally occurring compound, it is made by only one company today, DuPont. Draw any conclusions you want as to the source of PFOA's entry to your and your families blood but it is cumulative once there.
The EPA is now learning some scary facts about PFOA. The chemical accumulates in the blood over time, and studies have linked it to increased risks for leukemia and high cholesterol. PFOA could very well join the list of asbestos, PCB, mercury and silica hazards. And like these other substances, as the dangers began to emerge the manufacturers tried to claim they were perfectly safe. There were those in the mid 70's who were defending asbestos and tried to dismiss the studies. You can ignore the PFOA data emerging today, thats fine, you are only taking risks with your and your families lives so follow your own conscience.
I feel I face enough hazards in my everyday life and don't need DuPont adding to the risk and withholding information about it. I find I can live quite well without Teflon and PFOA's. I sure as hell don't need it in a car wax, especially since there are other safer products available that work better.
