New Health Concerns Arise Over Non-Stick Coatings

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New Health Concerns Arise Over Non-Stick Coatings

JoAnn Guest

Nov 17, 2006 14:18 PST

 

New Health Concerns Arise Over Non-Stick Coatings

http://missvickie.com/resources/cookware/1teflon.html

 

The Teflon® trademark was coined by DuPont and registered in 1945;

the first products were sold commercially under the trademark

beginning in 1946. Applications and product innovations snowballed

quickly. Marketed as non-stick and convenient, the term " Teflon " is

now a household name. the nonstick pans, many of which are

manufactured by DuPont, are a popular choice.

 

On May 16, 2000, the 3M corporation stunned the rest of the chemical

industry with an unexpected announcement: It had decided to stop

producing a family of compounds used in Scotchgard, Teflon, and a

host of other consumer products.

Saying that the " perfluorochemicals " it had

manufactured for half a century had been found to persist in human

blood and wildlife, 3M portrayed its move as that of a conscientious

corporate citizen. Read more.

What's On This Page?

 

Non-stick Coatings Can Kill Birds

 

Household Products Using Poly- tetraflouethylene

 

It's Everywhere -Major Products And Brands

 

Related Brands

 

Is Nonstick Cookware Safe?

 

Stores Selling Cookware with Teflon® Non-stick

 

What Can You Do to Minimize Your Exposure?

 

New Health Concerns Arise Over Non-Stick Coatings Use

 

U.S. Urged to Put Warning Labels on Non-Stick Cookware

 

Impact On Human Health

 

What's Being Done Elsewhere?

 

Non-stick Coatings Can Kill Birds

 

Avian veterinarians have known for decades non-stick cookware can

produce fumes that are highly toxic to birds. In a single year a

Chicago

veterinarian documented 296 bird deaths involving non-stick

cookware. In

" Teflon toxicosis, " as the bird poisonings are called, the lungs of

exposed birds hemorrhage and fill with fluid, leading to

suffocation.

 

Gore-tex®, SilverStone® and Teflon® are registered trademarks of

Dupont

Chemical Company. Stainmaster® and Scotchgard® are the registered

trademarks of 3M. Dupont Chemical Company and 3M do not sponsor or

endorse this report, but you can See more at the EPA website.

 

Teflon® Applications

 

Industrial uses for Teflon® fluoropolymers includes the following

application areas: architectural, fabrics, automotive uses, cabling

materials, food processing, pharmaceutical and biotech

manufacturing,

and semiconductor manufacturing. Products include industrial and

medical

tubing, , films, chemical linings, coatings on electrical

insulation,

fabrics, and metals,electronic data insulation and telecommunication.

 

Household Products Using Poly- tetraflouethylene

 

Find the complete list of products that may be in your home right

now.

 

Automotive Products

 

Carpet

 

Cleaning Products

 

Clothing, including kids

 

Computer Accessories

 

Cookware

 

Fashion Accessories

 

Furniture

 

Gardening Products

 

Luggage

 

Medical Supplies

 

Miscellaneous Household Products

 

Music Supplies

 

Paints/Coatings

 

Personal Care Products

 

Pet Supplies

 

Sporting And Outdoor Gear

 

See More

 

 

Related Brands

 

Teflon®, SilverStone®, SilverStone® Xtra, SilverStone® Select,

SilverStone® Professional and Autograph, NoStik® pan and oven

liners,

Sally Hansen nail enamel, Gore-tex®, Scotchgard, Comfort Socks,

StainMaster carpet,` Calphalon, Chicago Metallic, Circulon,

Emerilware,

T-Fal (a.k.a. Tefal), All-Clad Nonstick, Farberware Non-Stick, Meyer

Anolon, Rival Electric, Excalibur nonstick coatings

useperfluorocarbon

based coatings.

 

Stores Selling Cookware with Teflon® Non-stick

 

Bed Bath & Beyond

Bi-Mart

Bloomingdales

Bon Marche

Bon Ton

Boscov's

Burdines

Carson Pirie Scott

Costco

Dillards

Famous Barr

Filenes

Foley's

FortunoffMeijer

Goldsmith's

Gottshalks

Hecht's

JC Penney

K-Mart

Kohl's

Lazarus

Linens and Things

Macy's

Marshall-Fields

May Company

Meier & Frank

Mervyns

Pamida

Rich's

Shopko

Spiegel

Target

Wal-Mart

William-Sonoma

Younkers

 

 

U.S. Urged to Put Warning Labels on Non-Stick Cookware

News Source: Reuters

Published May 15, 2003

The FDA approved Teflon® for contact with food in 1960 based on a

food

frying study that found higher levels of Teflon® chemicals in

hamburger

cooked on heat-aged and old pans. At the time, FDA judged these

levels

to be of little health significance.

 

The Environmental Working Group asked the Consumer Product Safety

Commission to require manufactures of cookware to place warning

labels

on their products that caution consumers of the potential health

risks

of the non-stick coating.

 

EPA says it doesn't know enough about the compound to call it a

human

health hazard. As a result, DuPont continues to make products with

PFOA

and C8 ammonium salt. DuPont is now the sole PFOA manufacturer in

the

U.S. " The government has not assessed the safety of non-stick

cookware.

says John Thomas, of the division of regulatory guidance at FDA's

Center

for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. " You won't find a regulation

anywhere on the books that specifically addresses cookware. " But,

Thomas

adds, when a type of cookware raises safety concerns, FDA gets

involved.

 

The CPSC, in denying the Environmental Working Group's petition to

apply

warning labels to nonstick coated cookware, said the petition did

not

have sufficient information to support the group's claim that these

coatings " have the ability to cause substantial injury or illness to

a

person through reasonably foreseeable handling or use " and that it

had

" not established whether humans will experience adverse health

effects

when nonstick coated cookware is used at normal cooking

temperatures. "

 

According to a study by the advocacy group, non-stick pots and pans

could reach 700 degrees Fahrenheit (370 C) in 3-5 minutes, releasing

15

harmful gases and chemicals, including two carcinogens, two global

pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses. Non-

stick

coatings break down to a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB, and a

chemical analog of the WWII nerve gas, phosgene.

 

 

Is Nonstick Cookware Safe?

DuPont acknowledges that the fumes given off by non-stick coatings

can

also sicken people, in a condition called " polymer fume fever " ,

which

can be erroneously diagnosed as the common flu. No one has never

studied

the incidence of illness among users of the billions of non-stick

pots

and pans sold around the world, or the long-term effects from the

sickness.

 

While DuPont acknowledges that its nonstick coatings begin to

deteriorate when the cookware reaches about 500 degrees, it notes

that

those temperatures are higher than typical cooking heats. And while

it

admits that birds may be harmed by the fumes, the company maintains

that

its pans are safe under normal use.

 

Non-stick pans have never been meant for high-heat cooking, as the

instructions on any pan label will show. " We recommend cooking using

coated non-stick cookware at low to medium heat, " says Dupont's Rich

Angiullo. " We know (our product) can withstand temperatures up to

500 F,

well above any of the recommended temperatures for frying or baking. "

 

But recommendations and reality don't always coincide, says

Environmental Working Group president Ken Cook. " We're still

searching

for the person who has never left a pan on a stove top and had it

get

real hot. " Engineers with Underwriters Laboratories say that all

UL-certified electric ranges should bring a pan to 475 degrees when

the

knob is turned to two-thirds high, and that maximum heat would

probably

exceed 600-650 degrees.

 

It's Everywhere - Major Products And Brands

Teflon® has been involved in the U.S. space program since the

program's

infancy. When astronaut Neil Armstrong took his historic " giant leap

for

mankind " in 1969, the moon module included numerous applications

involving Teflon® resin, including space suits and blankets, heat

shields, insulation and cargo hold liners.

 

Teflon® is used in many applications for computer chip manufacture

because it is very inert and non-reactive. It's used in filters to

keep

air clean, in chip carriers, and virtually all tubing and piping in

the

semiconductor industry. DuPont Teflon® is the dominant brand used in

the

industry and DuPont has supplied Teflon® to that market since its

inception.

 

As a fiber, Teflon® is used to manufacture socks that reduce

friction

and blisters. Recently approved by the U.S. Food & Drug

Administration.,

these are especially crucial for diabetics, people with circulatory

problems, geriatric needs, obesity and sensitive skin. It's also

used in

children's clothing, sportswear, bedding, towels, shower curtains

and

upholstery. It's used in military clothing and uniforms for school

children and sports clothing. Major fashion designers and brands

that

use Teflon® fabric protector include: Hugo Boss, Prada, Ralph

Lauren,

Nautica, Yeohlee, Kenneth Cole, Woolrich, Pendleton, Koret, The Gap,

J.

Crew, L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer, Robert Allen Beacon Hill Fabrics and

Lee

Jofa Fabrics, among others. Technology based on Teflon® also is used

to

repel dirt and spills from DuPont StainMaster® carpet.

 

Teflon® is used to coat fiberglass fabrics for permanent

architectural

structures such as the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan, and

the

Orange Bowl at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Teflon® is

in

the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor as an insulator and

lubricator

between the copper skin and the stainless steel skeleton. Teflon® in

a

composite sheet form with graphite is used for bearing pads in the

George Washington Bridge in New York State to prevent corrosion of

the

steel plates.

 

Packaged food and fast food containers are coated with PFCs to keep

grease from soaking through the packaging. PFCs are used in a wide

variety of containers, including french fry boxes, pizza boxes and

microwave popcorn bags.

 

To see more products that use teflon®:

http://www.nethorde.com/teflon/

 

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Teflon/Teflon-HistoryDuPont.htm

 

What Can You Do to Minimize Your Exposure?

For now, the EPA says it's too early to advise consumers to toss out

their nonstick cookware. If you want to take precautions in the

meantime, you could set aside your nonstick pots and pans until the

EPA

has finished its study.

 

If you do use (non-stick) cookware, don't let it sit on the burner

for

long before adding food. Doing so may permit the temperature to rise

high enough to emit chemical fumes. Avoid cooking at high

temperatures

with nonstick cookware. Use low to medium temperatures instead. And

don't forget to keep your pet birds out of the kitchen.

 

Here are some tips from the EWG:

 

Phase out the use of non-stick cookware and other equipment that is

heated in your home. If you can afford to replace it now, do so.

When

heated to high temperatures, Products with PFC coatings emit fumes

that

can be harmful.

Do not use non-stick cookware in your home if you have pet birds. In

fact, avoid any kitchen equipment that contains non-stick components

that are heated to high temperature during use. Fumes from these

materials can quickly kill birds.

When you purchase furniture or carpet, decline optional treatments

for

stain and dirt resistance, and find products that have not been

pre-treated with chemicals by questioning the retailers. Most of

these

chemical treatments contain PFCs that might contaminate your home

and

family.

Avoid buying clothing that bears a label or other indication that it

has

been coated for water, stain, or dirt repellency. Many of these

coatings

are PFCs. By buying alternatives you will help shrink the PFC

economy

and the associated global contamination.

Minimize packaged food and greasy fast foods in your diet. These can

be

held in containers that are coated with PFCs to keep grease from

soaking

through the packaging. PFCs are used in a wide variety of

containers,

including french fry boxes, pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags.

Avoid buying cosmetics and other personal care products with the

phrase

" fluoro " or " perfluoro " on the ingredient list. Among products that

might contain PFCs are lotions, pressed powders, nail polish, and

shaving cream.

Resources:

PFCs: Global Contaminants, Environmental Working Group

EWG's listing of products that are coated with Teflon and

Scotchgard.

PFOA Q's & A's, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (PDF file)

Scientists Raise Concerns About PFOS, Our Stolen Future

 

See Also:

Pots & Pans: Which Cookware is the Safest to Use?

http://www.ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/part10.php#you

 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-04-23-teflon-usat_x.htm

 

Impact Of Teflon On Human Health

The EWG review finds that PFCs have contaminated the blood

of;virtually

every American, the environment and wildlife, and supports

EPA's;findings that the associated chemicals presents health risks

for

women ;and girls. " These chemicals have been in use for 50 years,

they've found their;way into the body of every American, and we're

just

now starting to understand ;the health effects. That means we need a

better system for testing industrial;chemicals' health effects --

before

we permit their use, " said EWG Senior;Scientist Kris Thayer.;

 

Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists spent the last three

years;reviewing 50,000 pages of regulatory studies and government

documents;obtained from EPA; internal industry documents disclosed

in

ongoing;litigation; and a growing body of independent studies on the

toxicity and;environmental occurrence of perfluorochemicals (PFCs).

The

chemical,;abbreviated in scientific literature as PFOA, is also

known as

C-8 at the;DuPont Company, which manufactures it. A Canadian study

in

2001;discovered C8 was one of the chemicals released when Teflon is

heated ;repeatedly. The EPA is still collecting data, and it could

be

several months;before the agency concludes its investigation. " We

just

don't have answers;right now, " says EPA spokesman David Deegan.

 

What's Being Done Elsewhere?

Although some exposures to PFCs are unavoidable, there are two

differing

attitudes about how new technology should be evaluated. Historically

in

this country we've applied a risk-benefit analysis — do the

potential

benefits of the technology outweigh the potential risks? Most

businesses

evaluate their products on this basis.

 

Consumer advocates, environmentalists and the European community,

however, are turning toward something called the precautionary

principle. This is based on a German legal notion of the

Vorsorgeprinzip, literally the " forecaring principle " . Iin everyday

language: Better safe than sorry. It started in Germany when laws

were

enacted to save forests by reducing the power plant emissions that

cause

acid rain. Draft legislation will soon be released by the European

Union

to require that over the next 11 years all chemicals be treated like

new

ones and be required to undergo safety testing.

 

Chemicals of highest concern because of their environmental

infiltration, reproductive toxicity or carcinogenicity will be

treated

like drugs, meaning the system will presume they're dangerous and

require applications for their use. The rules, if approved, would go

into effect in 2005.

 

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets