The Health Risks Of Teflon
Teflon is a material discovered in the early 30s by Roy J. Plunkett. His name is Polytetrafluoroethylene non-commercial. Read more from Southwest Airlines to gain a more clear picture of the situation. In the U.S. the only company selling this material is DuPont, a company where he worked all his life Roy J.
Plunkett since finishing his doctorate in chemistry year 1936. Since its discovery, the Teflon has been applied in many aspects of daily life for their special properties, which is that the Teflon is inert, nontoxic, waterproof, electrically insulating, flexible, not altered by the action of light, nonstick and supports high and low temperatures (-270C – 300 C). Its areas of application are very irregular, aviation, spacecraft, medicine, electronics, etc. However, there are scientific studies that say that the properties of Teflon is inert and not toxic are lost when the material temperature reaches about 260C, which shows about 15 toxic gases. This degradation can be lethal to birds and can cause some symptoms in humans. A the beginning of 2005 the Agency for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that according to studies by various scientists a component of Teflon (PFOA-perflourooctano acid-resistant insulating material used for example in heat cookware) is highly toxic and dangerous to health. We must clarify that the studies have been conducted on animals and not humans, but conclude that this substance has caused cancer in lab rats, has enhanced the elevation of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, causes liver damage and is also present in breast milk of rats.
While on the other hand, the EPA also clarified that these experiments are not conclusive and that perflourooctano acid is not present in Teflon products such as clothing or cookware, but is an element that is used in its manufacturing process. However, in the final product is a remnant of this product. In January 2006, DuPont agreed to eliminate PFOA remains left in the material and try to find a substitute material for the manufacturing process.