Slow Clap Presents: Teflon

Real Story.  Real Stupid

"From stove tops to outer space...Teflon touches every one of us some way almost every day."

-Roy Plunkett

Polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, or Teflon was invented accidentally by Roy Plunket in 1938.  He worked for Dupont and was attempting to create a new refrigerant.  Teflon is a thermoplastic polymer known for its high heat threshold and self-lubricating properties.

Half of all Teflon produced is used for wiring in aerospace and computer applications.  It is utilized in industrial applications and is even used by NASA.    

By 1948, 900 tons of Teflon was being produced per year. In 1954 it was first tried as a coating on pans which led to the invention of the "Happy Pan" which hit the market in 1961.

Teflon, by itself, is a lumpy gel.  When treated with a surfactant during production, it can become smooth and easier to use in more applications.  Teflon is treated with a surfactant known as perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA, or C8.   Perfluorooctanoic acid is called C8 because it contains 8 carbon atoms.  C8 is a toxic chemical that never degrades because it is so stable.  It accumulates in the environment and in the human body.  The U.S. population has 98 percent of people testing positive for C8 in their blood.

C8 is used in the production of Teflon but it is also used alone to produce many products.  C8 is used in stain-resistant carpeting, fast food wrappers, waterproof clothing, electrical cables, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, Teflon cookware, and many other products.  It is found in industrial waste, house dust, water, and food.

In 2004 the EPA sued Dupont because Dupont knew for over two decades that C8 is toxic.  Dupont was also sued in a class action suit on behalf of people who suffered from exposure to C8.  In 2005 both suits were settled for $16.5 million and $100 million, respectively.  Dupont also agreed to pay out an additional $235 million if a study concluded that C8 was making people sick.  The study found that exposure to C8 caused ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, elevated cholesterol, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, and kidney cancer.  Many people became sick after massive amounts of C8 was dumped into the ocean and near Ohio River Valley.

My two cents:  Theoretically, Teflon is "safe" to use.  Knowing that it is plastic and that C8 is used in the production, I imagine at some point we will discover that Teflon is toxic as well.  I have some Teflon coated cookware that I plan to replace down the road.

Rating:  I'm giving Teflon (along with C8) one out of five possible slow claps.  It never degrades and will be around forever, not to mention that C8 makes people sick.