Non-stick Pan Raising Health Fears
by Greg Arnold
Remember a few years ago when chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), once thought to be safe and in every hair spray on the market, was banned because it destroyed ozone? Or how about polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) once thought to be safe as well, until they were found to cause cancer and disrupt hormones. Now, scientists have found another toxic hormone to complete the trifecta of toxic substances put into the atmosphere to either ruin the environment or kill those using them. That chemical is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
PFOA is a non-naturally occurring constituent chemical in Teflon, widely used for non-stick pans, and Gore-Tex, found in raincoats. Known to be included in packaged food containers, cosmetics, and carpet and furniture treatments, PFOA has been shown to kill rat pups in the lab setting as well as changing the weight of the brain, liver, and kidneys. Probably the most troubling aspect of PFOA is that it never degrades, so once put into the atmosphere, it will last for thousands of years.
Fortunately, The Environmental Protection Agency has started to take measures on PFOA. Despite releasing a preliminary risk assessment of PFOA and suggesting it may have 'developmental and other health effects,' the EPA is not halting production of PFOA's, much to the chagrin of organizations like the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C., who is demanding a complete ban on PFOA.
As is to be expected, the makers of Teflon and Gortex,
namely, DuPont, 3M, and W L Gore & Associates all insist PFOA's are
safe. We will leave it to you to decide with some web sites to explore
further the possible dangers of PFOA's:
Original article from the Sunday Herald, 11th May 2003
www.sundayherald.com/print33754
www.epa.gov/opptintr/pfoa/index.htm
