this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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Which ones are meant
Teflon freon(CFC)...
Teflon is just the brand name. I believe it’s called Polytetrafluorethylene, thus ending in ne :)
Thank dog, we're saved
SW42 shall forever be remembered a hero, who saved the world from a dark path
Known also as PFAS or forever chemicals
Teflon itself is quite good, getting it to stick to places is the problem.
Quite good, if you avoid the fact it's literally everywhere including the atmosphere, doesn't break down, and causes cancer. But who cares about such little things like cancer causing rain...
Again, that's from getting it to stick to things. The smaller PTFE chemicals that make it possible to suspend Teflon in water are the problem.
Teflon is the brand name for for the chemical Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Making PTFE requires PFAS, which are the toxic part. Think of PFAS as little bits of chain varying lengths that get strung together to make the larger PTFE molecule.
The argument you're making sounds similar to something like "Fossil Fuels are safe, it's just the CO2 that's dangerous." PFAS contaminated water being released to the environment is an unavoidable by produce of making Teflon. You can only make Teflon as a solid without suspending the PFAS in water first.
Here's a pretty good video about the history, manufacturing process, and toxicity.
https://youtu.be/SC2eSujzrUY
There is one important note: you won't get cancer from the Teflon in your pans. You get it from the PFAS used to produce the pans. This means you don't have to throw out all your pans, as if they were made from lead and asbestos. Just make sure not to buy new ones with Teflon.
I didn't read it that way at all. Their argument sounds more like "there's nuance that you're glossing over."
It seems that we all agree PFAS are generally nasty chemicals, some worse than others. Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) is just one of the "nicer" ones.
You can't make teflon without the PFAS though. It's like saying AIDS is completely different than HIV
no it's more like saying "desalinated water is fine, it's the brine that's problematic."
which is true.
and the same goes for teflon:
the PFAS are toxic, not teflon itself.
glossing over that distinction is disingenuous...
yes, you can't make one without the other, true, but the end product is not toxic. that's an important difference you can't just ignore in order to say teflon is toxic, because a requisite material in (cheap) production is toxic.
because that's like saying desalinated water is toxic, just because brine is toxic..which is obviously ridiculous.
ie if you already have a teflon thing, that teflon is non-toxic and there’s no point to just throw it out… avoid new things if possible because they byproducts are harmful, but disposing of existing product is unhelpful
ie if you already have a teflon thing, that teflon is non-toxic and there’s no point to just throw it out… avoid new things if possible because they byproducts are harmful, but disposing of existing product is unhelpful
It's also what makes it cheap. Making Teflon other ways is much more expensive.
It's releasing a high amount of micro and nano plastics, and those are linked to different health issues including cancer.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724027232
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37419366/
Teflon itself is inert, but it's also not needed to avoid that food sticks in a pan. In a good prepared Steel pan food sticks less than in a Teflon pan and is way more resistant to damages. The food sticks in the pan, if you don't wait to add the food until it's heated enough, not for other reasons, mistake often don by normal users. Professional cooks never use Teflon pans.
Preparing a Steel pan non-stick
After this, to fry something, add a little oil and wait until the oil has enough heat (test with the handle of a wood spoon, if it forms little bubbles on it in the oil, the temperature is OK), to add the food. It will never stick this way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXEt-fhyCis
About that
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37419366/
Steel/iron > teflon for sure though.
Teflon, on it's own is safe, the problem are the chemicals used to produce it.
Read the rest of my comments...
Teflon doesn't cause cancer.
It's releasing a high amount of micro and nano plastics, and those are linked to different health issues including cancer.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724027232
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37419366/
Oxidative stress and inflammation is cancer?
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41698-024-00554-5
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7027163/
https://biologyinsights.com/oxidative-stress-and-cancer-whats-the-connection/
https://biosignaling.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12964-023-01398-5
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6831096/
So as much as breathing, coffee and the sun cause cancer?
One of these is not like the others 👀
I mean, it might... but we haven't shown it does.
teflon itself is proved safe. its production is what's causing all the problems.
I had a waterproofing spray that said on it "Completely nontoxic ^when ^dry"
Modern teflon, sure.
But there's a reason its no longer made with PFOA.
In Denmark there was until very recently a factory doing something with teflon. That shit got launched out the chimney and just rained down everywhere.
free of charge?
Nah, Dupont invoiced everyone.
monsanto tactics
Yeah, every factory that does "something" with Teflon probably wants to stick it to things, which are the problematic chemicals, not Teflon itself.
In the same way Asbestos is a great material, just one small problem
Asbestos makes for a great cigarette filter material, though.
It is certainly... impactful for your lungs.
We are too weak for the miracle of asbestos.
Asbestos itself is toxic. Teflon is inert.