Dear chester04-ga;
That?s a very good question but the truth is that the jury is still
OFFICALLY out on the answer.
The Environmental Protection Agency says that perfluorochemicals
(PFCs) or specifically perhaps, perfluorooctanoic acid (the
?fluorocarbons? you seem to be expressing a concerns about) do appear
to cause deaths, birth defects and developmental problems in rats and
could harm people.
DuPont, on the other hand, the only large U.S. company still using
PFOA, insists that its products are safe.
ECOLOGY ARCHIVES
http://askwaltstollmd.com/archives/ecology/167314.html
DuPont claims that ?PFOA has been wrongfully represented as a health
risk when, in fact, it has been used safely for more than 50 years
with no known adverse effects to human health.?
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS
DuPont Refutes Charges of Health Risks for Teflon-related Chemicals
http://www.occupationalhazards.com/articles/6866
Even though some potentially dangerous chemicals have been found in
the blood of some test cases, Dupont is said to have claimed that the
levels ?are far too small to be a problem?.
ABC?s 20/20
Can Non-Stick Make You Sick?
EPA Studying Whether Teflon Poses Health Risks
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/Living/Teflon_investigation_031114-2.html
Nevertheless, according to this source the EPA and EWG are continuing
to press the issue and are still insisting that the chemicals do
indeed present certain health risks:
?WASHINGTON -- As a draft US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
report highlights serious emerging health concerns over a chemical
associated with the manufacture of DuPont's Teflon product, a first-
ever review finds pollution and health risks posed by the entire
family of chemicals to which the Teflon-associated chemical belongs.
Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists spent the last three
years reviewing 50,000 pages of regulatory studies and government
documents obtained from EPA; internal industry documents disclosed in
ongoing litigation; and a growing body of independent studies on the
toxicity and environmental occurrence of perfluorochemicals (PFCs).
The EWG review finds that PFCs have contaminated the blood of
virtually every American, and supports EPA's findings that the
Teflon-associated chemical presents health risks for women and girls.
EWG found that the scientific consensus is that PFCs, for all
practical purposes, never break down, they widely pollute human blood,
and they are found in people at high levels. The Group's findings are
free and available to the public at www.ewg.org. The site includes an
interactive global map, showing nearly all publicly available findings
of PFCs in people, animals, air and water -- 2,300 test results in
all.
"These chemicals have been in use for 50 years, they've found their
way into the body of every American, and we're just now starting to
understand the health effects. That means we need a better system for
testing industrial chemicals' health effects -- before we permit their
use," said EWG Senior Scientist Kris Thayer.
Just three years ago, EPA forced another member of the
'perfluorochemical' (PFC) family off the market -- PFOS, the original
ingredient in Scotchgard for more than 40 years.
PFCs are the foundation of a multi-billion dollar industry that makes
such popular stain- and water-resistant consumer products as Gore-Tex,
Scotchgard, SilverStone and Stainmaster.?
EWG SCIENTISTS RELEASE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON HAZARDOUS
CHEMICALS USED TO MAKE TEFLON, SCOTCHGARD, STAINMASTER, GORE-TEX,
OTHER POPULAR PRODUCTS
http://www.hempfarm.org/Papers/Dupont_Chemical_Review.html
As you can see, the issue is still being litigated and until a court
or some other ruling authority officially deems the chemical
dangerous, the jury is still out.
I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher
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