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While using nonstick cookware, grease-resistant food wrapping, stain-resistant carpet, and breathable clothings brings you much convenience in daily life, a chemical (PFOA) from these products is a likely carcinogen.
PFOA is being accumulated in our body and our environment for a time longer than we want. It is found in the blood of the general population. It also pollutes the drinking water, and caused developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.
On February 15, 2006, a group of scientific advisers to the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States voted unanimously to approve a recommendation that PFOA, perfluorooctanoic acid, should be considered a likely carcinogen. (read full news report)
| What is PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid) | ||||||||||
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PFOA, also known as C-8, is a synthetic chemical used in the manufacture of nonstick and stain-resistant products, such as nonstick cookware (e.g. Teflon), stain-resistant carpet, grease-resistant food wrapping, breathable and waterproof all-weather clothing (e.g. Gore-tex) etc. Companies use PFOA to make fluoropolymers, substances with special properties that have thousands of important manufacturing and industrial applications, including the aerospace, automotive, building/construction, chemical processing, electrical and electronics, semiconductor, and textile industries. The special properties of fluoropolymers include fire resistance and oil, stain, grease, and water repellency. |
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| What are the problems of PFOA | ||||||||||
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The durability of PFOA prevents it from breaking down, leading to widespread buildup and bioaccumulation in food chains. Since its discovery in 1938, PFOA was being found at very low levels both in the environment and in the blood of the general population (96 percent of children tested in 23 states in the US). PFOA was also found in the bodies of animals such as river otters in Oregon, polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. |
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| However, scientists do not know the exact mechanism how PFOA goes into the human bodies. Testing programs are being run to determine whether these fluoropolymer products generate or release PFOA as they age during use. The elimination half life of PFOA in human bodies is around 4 years (ie. it takes 4 years to remove half its quantity). | ||||||||||
| Some examples of products manufactured with PFOA | ||||||||||
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| Other Problematic Products | ||||||||||
