By Carlota Bindner •
March 20, 2009
In her article, “The Essential Resource for Green Family Life: Healthy Child Healthy World“, Jennifer Lance mentioned the Healthy Child Healthy World’s advice on getting rid of Teflon in your kitchen. Teflon is the DuPont brand name for polytetrafluoroethtylene, or PTFE, a type of PFC that is used as a non-stick coating for most cookware. A PFC means that it is a chemical compound composed of fluorine and carbon atoms If you walk down the aisle at any store that sells pots and pans, or even in your pantry at home, I am sure you have noticed those wonderful non-stick pans that make cooking and clean up a breeze. Yes, they are wonderful because you do not need to use as much butter, oil, or whatever else you add to prevent food from sticking to the pan but have you ever wondered what happens as that nonstick coating scratched? What exactly is it that you could be adding to your food?
By Robin Elton •
February 5, 2009
The study defined infertility as taking longer than 12 months to become pregnant or requiring medical treatment to achieve pregnancy. Women who carried a relatively high level of PFC compounds in their blood were correspondingly more likely to experience infertility- anywhere from 60% to 154% more likely. These women with higher levels of exposure also tended to report irregular menstrual cycles, suggesting that PFC exposure may have an effect on reproductive homones.
PFCs are man-made chemicals used as stain-and grease-proof coatings on fabrics, food packaging, carpets, and cookware. They also appear in some water supplies and in personal care products such as dental floss and shampoo.
PFCs are everywhere and they never go away. Extremely stable compounds, PFCs never break down, causing them to accumulate in the environment and in our bodies. They have been linked to cancers, birth defects, and low birth weights. Tranferrable from mother to child via the placenta, PFCs also contribute to the chemical burden of newborns; brand new babies carry PFC compounds in their umbilical cord blood.
Is it even possible to avoid PFCs? There are some ways to limit your exposure.
It’s Tuesday, and that means another article from our friends at Naturalpath. Today, they’ve shared an article with us on Teflon-coated cookware (original publication here), and its potential health and environmental threats. According to the article,
Far from your kitchen, the chemicals used to manufacture Teflon are also very persistent in the environment. Toxic chemicals released when cooking with Teflon-coated cookware can find their way into the air, water, soil,
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Coal Mining Canary: Photo Courtesy of petcaretips.netTen years ago, I first became aware of the dangers of nonstick cookware from a student who had a pet bird. Apparently, when you cook with nonstick cookware, it gives off a gas that can be fatal to pet birds. If nonstick cookware is fatal to pet birds, isn't this the canary in the cave for human use of nonstick cookware?
I have
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In her article, “The Essential Resource for Green Family Life: Healthy Child Healthy World“, Jennifer Lance mentioned the Healthy Child Healthy World’s advice on getting rid of Teflon in your kitchen. Teflon is the DuPont brand name for polytetrafluoroethtylene, or PTFE, a type of PFC that is used as a non-stick coating for most cookware. A PFC means that it is a chemical compound composed of fluorine and carbon atoms If you walk down the aisle at any store that sells pots and pans, or even in your pantry at home, I am sure you have noticed those wonderful non-stick pans that make cooking and clean up a breeze. Yes, they are wonderful because you do not need to use as much butter, oil, or whatever else you add to prevent food from sticking to the pan but have you ever wondered what happens as that nonstick coating scratched? What exactly is it that you could be adding to your food?
