Toxic Teflon: The Unseen Danger of Non-Stick Cookware

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the potential dangers associated with Teflon and other non-stick cookware, particularly regarding the breakdown of these coatings at high temperatures and the resulting toxic emissions. Participants explore the implications for health and safety, with references to both human and animal health risks.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference a report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicating that non-stick cookware can emit toxic particles and gases when overheated, potentially leading to health issues.
  • One participant notes that Teflon can break down into harmful substances at high temperatures, including chemicals associated with warfare, raising concerns about the safety of these products.
  • Another participant mentions that while Teflon is toxic at high temperatures, it typically requires conditions not present during normal cooking.
  • There is a discussion about the breakdown products of Teflon, with some suggesting that it may produce known carcinogens.
  • Several participants share personal anecdotes about their cookware choices, including aluminum and leadware, and express varying levels of concern about the safety of these materials.
  • Humorous exchanges occur regarding the safety of eating out and the implications of what restaurants might use for cooking.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the safety of Teflon and non-stick cookware, with some acknowledging the risks while others downplay them. There is no consensus on the extent of the danger or the validity of the claims made about Teflon's breakdown products.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific temperatures and chemical breakdowns, but the discussion lacks detailed scientific validation of these claims. The conversation also touches on broader concerns about cookware materials and their health implications, but these points remain largely anecdotal.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals concerned about cookware safety, health implications of kitchen materials, and those interested in the chemical properties of non-stick coatings.

Dissident Dan
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http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon/es.php

In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesses each year, according to tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG).

.....

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.

WTF? Did any of you guys know anything about this? This is insane. It appears that when there's no war, DuPont, Monsanto, etc. try to adapt war chemicals into any use.
 
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Dissident Dan said:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon/es.php



WTF? Did any of you guys know anything about this? This is insane. It appears that when there's no war, DuPont, Monsanto, etc. try to adapt war chemicals into any use.
Yes, I knew about it. The pan has to reach a heat higher than used in normal cooking. But if you leave a teflon pan on the stove on high heat unattended, the fumes are toxic to birds.
 
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All halo-alkanes are toxic and most are carcinogens as well. If Teflon breaks down, it probably becomes either tetrafluoroethyne or difluoromethane or some such thing. These are definitely toxic carcinogens, and that's fairly common knowledge. I didn't know though, that it de-polymerizes at stove-top temperatures. I thought it melted before that.
 
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Thank goodness I stuck with leadware. :approve:
 
I grew up with aluminum cookware, of course now they say cooking in aluminum may contribute to alzheimers. What was the question?
 
Thank God I'm safe. I just eat out.







:biggrin:

- Warren
 
chroot said:
Thank God I'm safe. I just eat out.

:biggrin:

- Warren

I wonder what they cook with ? :rolleyes:
 
Gokul,

That was part of the joke, man!

- Warren
 
:redface: If I delete my post, will you delete yours ? :redface:
 
  • #10
Muhahahaha... :biggrin:

If you didn't get it, either it was a really good joke, or a really bad one. I'm not sure which.

- Warren
 

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