Despite mounting lawsuits against DuPont for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the harmful chemical used in the making of Teflon cookware among many consumer goods, the company has never conceded perfluorochemicals (PFC) are the focal point of countless environmental and health-related disasters.
Yes, the EPA has called for a Teflon ban and DuPont has paid millions in fines for hiding evidence about the dangers of PFOA and other PFCs. So far, however, any ban among manufacturers has been a voluntary one, and financial penalties, even in the millions of dollars, are mere chump change compared to the hundreds of billions made on products whose residues can be found in nearly every U.S. citizen.
Among the interesting details about the ongoing Teflon scandal, outlined in this excellent AlterNet piece: More than a quarter of DuPont shareholders voted to eliminate PFOA completely last April, considered by many to be a wake-up call to management that has, up to now, been ignored.
Despite the massive amount of information regarding the toxicity of these chemicals, however, it's anyone's guess whether PFCs will ever be regulated or that something worse might come along to replace them. The EPA receives almost 150 new applications for chemicals every month, and it's squarely their responsibility to ferret out the truth.
Nevertheless, there are some simple steps you can take to avoid common toxic substances and protect your health.
AlterNet January 2, 2007