The Toxic Effects of Teflon Cookwares

Today we are exposed  to the most advanced science and technology in every walk of life. Thanks to the advancement in science that our life and living have become comfortable. Science has revolutionized human life and has made life easier and has done a great service to humanity. We are enjoying and experiencing the benefits of science and technology in all walks of life.  The applications of science and technology are utilized in all the fields of knowledge.  The world has become smaller and the distance is shrunk due to the modern means of transport and communications.

Science has helped us to conquer diseases. Modern medicines help us in curing and preventing diseases. We have developed medicines for curing all types of cancers. Man, in this century can postpone death as he can transplant various vital organs in the human body like kidneys, heart, liver and brain. Science has also helped us to fight against dreadful diseases,  ageing and death. 

Biotechnology has helped us to grow agricultural products that are fortified with vitamins and minerals to enrich our diet and nutritive values of food. Modern scientific agricultural practices have made man to increase the yield of crops. Research on crops and crop production is going on in various levels to combine food and medicine.

Cooking nutritious food has become the order of the day. Cooking food without spoiling the nutritive values has become the prime concern. Several gadgets and appliances have been developed to ease cooking and to cook effectively and nutritionally. We are using several appliances like pressure cookers, microwave ovens, electric heaters, toasters, etc.

In addition to these gadgets we also use non stick cookware, the cookwares coated with Teflon to lessen the oil in the food that we eat. Teflon  coated cookwares are extremely helpful in making pancakes and chapattis without oil and ghee as health care specialists and experts insist on fat- free diet for long and healthy life. 

What is this Teflon?

Teflon is the brand name of chemical compound of fluorine and carbon called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It is the polymerized form of tetrafluoroethylene. Teflon is a plastic material highly resistant to chemicals, corrosion, and oxidation. It can withstand high temperature and is known for anti-stick properties. Polytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene.

PTFE was discovered by Roy Plunkett in 1938 accidentally. He was working with kinetic chemicals when he was attempting to find a nonflammable refrigerant, a new chlorofluorocarbon. He was testing tetrafluoroethylene with hydrochloric acid. A gas started liberating and he collected the gas in large amount in different cans for further testing and analyzing. He kept the gas cans on dry ice to liquefy. But to his surprise, the gas transformed into white, flaky powder on the next day morning. He came to the conclusion that polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene has taken place.

Polymerization is a chemical process in which molecules combine into long strings. Hence, Teflon has a high molecular weight.  Water or water containing substances cannot wet polytetrafluoroethylene. PTFE has wide variety of applications and uses in industry. It has a high melting point and is very stable at low temperature.

One of the major uses of PTFE is that when coated on metallic utensils oil or ghee does not stick to food and helps in frying food items in high temperature as it has a high melting point. Teflon coating on cookwares is done with the help of another chemical called Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The hazards of PTFE and PFOA on our health and our environment are taking up a different dimension in this decade. The disposal of worn out Teflon coated vessels is  also posing dangerous threat to the health of human beings  and the environment.

PFOA is linked to cancer, thyroid diseases, high cholesterol, and ulcerative colitis. PFOA enters the food when the nonstick pan is scratched or heated to high temperature. In addition to this Teflon also releases fifteen types of toxic fumes including trifluoroaceticacid (TFA) and Phosgene. These chemicals cause headaches, backache, fever, flu. Fumes released by heated Teflon are toxic and they are inhaled by us during cooking. They enter the blood stream and remain in the cells as liver cannot get rid of them. The toxic fumes also cause allergic bronchitis, wheezing and asthma.

Teflon coated cookwares begin to corrode after the temperature of the cookware reaches about 260 degree Celsius. They will begin to decompose above 350 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the PTFE coating will begin to chip off and if we ignore, the toxic elements will enter into the food and cause varieties of health hazards. They also cause birth defects in the fetus of expecting mothers. The toxic fumes are also carcinogenic and cause certain types of cancer.

The fumes emitted by heated Teflon cookwares are harmful because they enter the atmosphere, deplete the ozone layer and contribute to global warming.  Heating Teflon cook wares releases CFCs into the atmosphere. CFCs degrade in the atmosphere and produce Trifluoroaceticacid (TFA).  TFA remain in the atmosphere and plants absorb them during photosynthesis and respiration. When we consume fruits and vegetables, it enters our body.TFA increases the percentage of green house gases and hence increases the atmospheric air pollution. TFA fumes also cause suffocation to birds and they die and hence endanger the ecosystem.

Another problem is the method of disposal of used Teflon coated vessels. The used and the old cookware emit CFC and TFA into the atmosphere add to the percentage of TFA. The best method of disposal of these cookware is that it should be buried deep into the soil or it should be used as a landfill. So pollution created by Teflon coated cookwares is remaining still a challenge yet to be solved. It is a great concern of this century and the future.

The consumers should become aware of dangers of Teflon coated cookwares and switch over to our traditional metallic cookwares. This step will preserve health and environment.

"Save Nature and Save Environment"