Which ones are meant
this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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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.
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.
The argument you're making sounds similar to something like "Fossil Fuels are safe, it's just the CO2 that's dangerous."
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
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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
our findings suggest that PTFE-MPs-associated toxicity may be specifically linked to the activation of the ERK pathway, which ultimately induces oxidative stress and inflammation.
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
- Clean the pan after buy it
- Heat the pan on the kitchen
- Add some oil and heat somewhat more until it smoke
- After this, wait until i's cold enough and distribute and eliminate the oil film over the whole surface with an kitchen paper.
- Done
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.
Teflon itself is inert
About that
our findings suggest that PTFE-MPs-associated toxicity may be specifically linked to the activation of the ERK pathway, which ultimately induces oxidative stress and inflammation.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37419366/
Steel/iron > teflon for sure though.
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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.
Crayon 💀
made from crayfish
Nylon? To many things end with on.
funnily enough, that is a DuPont thing, but hasn't find its way into everyone's blood yet.
that is a DuPont thing, but hasn't find its way into everyone's blood yet.
Umm.. I've some bad news for you.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024003374
welp, guess this meme is even more true then.
Yeah, that's why I chose it haha.
Edit: I was just being salty in my original comment due to the meme being to vague and me being a chemist.
I'm not from the states but actually got to visit the DuPont plant that did nylon and Lycra. Also saw the river that once changed colour or something due to waste chemicals? I can't remember the story.
Regardless, I in no way support DuPont or any other company that is responsible for such damages as they have caused.
You're just not trying hard enough, it took me a while but i managed to jam it in there (very little room in my veins because of all the microplastics)
Now do it with Lycra.
Except that they used the chemicals that do find their way into everyone's blood to make nylon. So it tangentially fits the meme.
Watermelon?
Lethal when breathed in.
canceron should have been a dead giveaway
Does Teflon explain MAGA?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Nah, I'm betting on plain old lead.
zyklon B?,mustard gas.
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