Non-stick cookware, including Teflon pans, release toxic chemicals when heated, which can cause “Teflon flu” and harm pets. PFOA, a chemical used in non-stick cookware, is linked to cancer and birth defects. Alternative cookware options include enamel or porcelain interiors, stainless steel, iron, or aluminum pans.
When Teflon pans get hot enough, the nonstick coating begins to decompose, releasing one or more of 15 different toxins. This doesn’t just apply to Teflon-branded pans, but to all brands of non-stick cookware. Peer review studies reported by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggest that outgassing begins at just 202.2°C (396°F).
As Teflon cookware gets hotter, the chemicals released become more toxic. This outgassing is toxic enough to kill pet birds and is responsible for the “polymer fume flu” in humans, sometimes called the “Teflon flu.” Symptoms of Teflon flu include headache, nausea, fever, back pain, and malaise. Symptoms subside within a few days, but there may be even greater risks to using Teflon cookware.
A non-stick pan left empty to preheat can easily reach 371°C in minutes. At 360°F, Teflon cookware begins to release tiny particles of perfluroottanoic acid (PFOA), or C-8. PFOA is used in the manufacture of these and other non-stick cookware.
PFOA does not break down in the body or in the environment and has led to cancer and birth defects in laboratory animals. It may also be linked to two documented cases of human birth defects seen in DuPont workers who handled chemicals used in the manufacture of Teflon frying pans. In 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared PFOA a probable carcinogen. DuPont has agreed to phase out PFOA by the year 2015. Temperatures above 500°F (260°C) are not needed when cooking a steak, should Teflon cookware be forgotten on the stove in the face of a distraction or an emergency elsewhere in the home, high temperatures could release even more harmful chemicals known to be harmful to humans, animals and the environment.
Studies indicate that 95% of all Americans, including children, have small detectable amounts of PFOA in their bloodstream. PFOA exposure extends beyond Teflon pans to non-stick food packaging, stain repellants, and Scotch-type products. All of these use chemicals that break down into PFOA. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimates that it would take 4.4 years to clear current levels of PFOA from the body without further exposure. However, consumers are constantly exposed to products with these chemicals.
Studies on the safety of Teflon and other non-stick pans continue. The EPA believes PFOA products are safe for use pending further study. DuPont admits that Teflon cookware can release toxic PFOA fumes, but insists that this only occurs if the cookware is overheated, which it characterizes as misuse of the cookware. DuPont’s position is that when cookware releases toxic PFOA fumes, the food would already be burnt and inedible.
If you choose to use Teflon pans or other nonstick cookware, cook over medium-low heat and do not preheat the pans. Teflon pans are not recommended if you keep pet birds. An alternative to Teflon pans are pans with baked enamel or porcelain interiors, which do not stick and cook food wonderfully. Less expensive alternatives include stainless steel, iron or aluminum pans that require cooking oil to keep food from sticking.
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