Health, Taken Seriously

It’s nice that I can cook a pancake in a pan without it sticking. Apparently I’m not the only one that feels this way, as 70% of all cookware sold contains the nonstick product Teflon. But there’s a price to pay for this nonstick cooking. One of the key chemicals used to make nonstick cookware, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals and is found in the blood of 95% of Americans¹. PFOA isn’t only used to make nonstick cookware, it also lines pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags, is present in firefighting foam and phone cables, is found in personal care products like cosmetics, and is emitted into the environment during manufacturing. When nonstick cookware is heated about 400 degrees, it can release PFOA into the air. Studies by the Environmental Working Group have found that a nonstick pan preheated on high for 2-5 minutes can reach temperatures of 600 degrees². The fumes released by overheated Teflon can kill pet birds and cause flu-like symptoms in humans.

DuPont, the manufacturer of the nonstick coating Teflon, has long argued that it is perfectly safe. Teflon only contains trace amounts of PFOA and DuPont’s own studies found it caused no overall health problems. However, EPA studies have found evidence that PFOA can raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels in humans, that it is carcinogenic in rats³, and that it’s a “likely human carcinogen.⁴” There’s also evidence that it is linked to low birth weight in humans⁵. In 2006, the EPA fined DuPont $16.5 million for covering up decades worth of research showing that PFOA is linked to cancer, birth defects, and liver damage, and gave the company until 2015 to stop its production¹.

PFOA is not only released by nonstick cookware, it can also be released by cleaning products, clothing and carpeting that is stain-repellant, cosmetics, and many other products that contain chemicals that break down into PFOA in our bodies. Once there, the half life of PFOA is four years, meaning it takes four years for the amount in the body to reduced to half. It can cross the placenta and contaminate growing fetuses⁶, and has been found in umbilical cords. Once in the environment, PFOA persists indefinitely, as it can not be broken down. Not only is PFOA found in humans, it’s been found in animals located in remote places (for example, polar bears)¹. The Environmental Working Groups calls PFOA and its relatives “the most persistent synthetic chemicals known to man.”⁶

PFOA isn’t the only problematic chemical of its kind. It relative, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), has also been used as a nonstick product, most notably in Scotchgard stain-repellent. Fortunately, the manufacturer of Scotchgard no longer uses PFOS (as of 2000), but their substitute is also under the family of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and only time will tell if it is truly nontoxic as the manufacturer claims. While it’s great that manufacturers are either not making certain PFCs currently, or will discontinue their production in the near future, the chemicals are already in our environment (thanks to the weak 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, industrial chemicals never need to be tested for toxicity prior to their introduction into the environment and our bodies⁶).

I personally don’t want to wait until 2015 to stop allowing PFOA into my body and the bodies of my loved ones. So what can we do? First of all, avoid using nonstick cookware. If you must use it, never heat it over anything higher than medium heat and discontinue its use if it shows any signs of damage. Better yet, cook with only stainless steal or cast iron cookware (which can be seasoned to provide a less sticky cooking surface). Stop using stain-repelling products in your home–they can be found in cleaning products, carpet and upholstery cleaners, fabric/carpet protectors (Stainmaster, Scothgard), etc. Do not purchase new carpet, furniture, or clothing that is advertised to repel stains. Avoid greasy and oily food that is stored in containers coated with PFOA releasing chemicals, such as pizza boxes, french fry containers, etc. And avoid personal care products that contain ingredients that start with “fluoro” or “perflouro,” as PFCs can be found in mascara, facial moisturizers, eye makeup, and nail polish.

Sites worth visiting:
http://www.pollutioninpeople.org/toxics/pfcs
http://www.ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/117/cookware
http://www.enviroblog.org/2007/04/ask-ewg-carpet.htm

1. Eilperin, Juliet. “Harmful Teflon Chemical to be Eliminated by 2015.” Washington Post, January 26, 2006.

2. Watson, Tom. “Coated Pots and Pans can Present Health Hazards.” Seattle Times, August 10, 2007.

3. “EPA: Teflon-Making Cancer Risk?” www.CBSnews.com, January 12, 2005. see http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/12/health/main666449.shtml, Accessed, 12/21/07.

4. “EPA Science Panel says Teflon Chemical ‘Likely’ Cause of Human Cancer.” www.ewg.org, January 30, 2006. see http://www.ewg.org/node/21302, Accessed 12/21/07.

5. “The Sticky Teflon Problem.” www.ewg.org, September 11, 2007. see http://www.ewg.org/node/22574, Accessed 12/21/07.

6. “Teflon is Forever.” www.ewg.org, June 8, 2007. see http://www.ewg.org/node/25603, Accessed 12/21/07.