EPA Program Could Eliminate Teflon Chemical

[Guest guest]

PFOA, a suspected carcinogen, might be gone from most products by

2015.

 

By Amanda Gardner

HealthDay Reporter

 

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency announced on Wednesday a voluntary program whereby

makers of Teflon and other non-stick, stain-resistant products would

cut back emissions of a suspected carcinogen, a byproduct of the

manufacturing process.

 

The companies would agree to reduce emissions of perfluorooctanoic

acid, or PFOA, and slash its use in products by 95 percent by 2010,

and then completely eliminate it by 2015.

 

The non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) said the move was

significant, despite its voluntary nature and apparent lack of

enforceability.

 

" We want to commend the EPA for their leadership on this and make it

very clear that these chemicals pose numerous health risks, " said EWG

President Ken Cook at a news conference Wednesday. " They are

extraordinarily persistent and virtually all Americans have them in

their blood already. "

 

EWG did not reserve its praise for the EPA only. Cook also singled

out chemicals giant DuPont " as a company at its best. "

 

Last month, DuPont agreed to pay record EPA fines for previous PFOA-

related violations, including a $10.25 million penalty and another

$6.25 million to support two EPA environmental projects. Those

projects include a $5 million, three-year look at the " degradation

potential " of nine of DuPont's fluorotelomer-based products to break

down and form PFOA.

 

According to the Associated Press, Dupont has already signed onto the

new, voluntary program.

 

PFOA is used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers and fluorotelomers

which, in turn, are used to make a wide-range of non-stick and stain-

resistant products, such as Teflon.

 

" These have been called wonder chemicals, " said Jane Houlihan, EWG's

vice president for research. " They have now evolved into staple stain

and grease-proof coatings for a broad array of everyday consumer

products, including microwave popcorn bags, carpets and blue jeans. "

 

" With this announcement, these chemicals join a short list of

chemicals that have been banned or are the subject of a public phase-

out, " Houlihan continued.

 

In animal studies, PFOA has caused malignant tumors and immune

suppression, said EWG senior scientist Tim Kropp. Some 95 percent of

Americans tested have shown evidence of the chemical in their blood,

the watchdog group said.

 

Under the terms of the EPA's " global stewardship program, " DuPont and

six other major chemical companies will commit to reduce by 95

percent emissions and product content levels of PFOA and PFOA

precursors no later than 2010. The companies will work toward

eliminating these sources of PFOA exposure by 2015.

 

Companies are being asked to provide their commitment to the EPA no

later than March 1, 2006.

 

Despite the program's voluntary status, EWG officials felt optimistic

about its chances for success.

 

" It is unfortunate that stuff cannot be enforced and that the EPA

does not have the tools to require this type of action, but with this

specific action we have a confluence of factors that make us

relatively confident that this will happen, " Kropp said.

 

Primary among them is that consumers no longer want these chemicals

in their products, which makes the secondary companies that put the

chemicals in products reluctant to use them, he said.

 

" There are a lot of market forces driving these companies to come up

with a better alternative and something that's greener and cleaner, "

Kropp said.

 

More information

 

For more on PFOAs, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(www.epa.gov ).

 

 

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