# Does burned plastic in the oven leave a toxic residue?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burned-plastic-in-the-oven-leave-a-toxic-residue/769469>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 23, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burned-plastic-in-the-oven-leave-a-toxic-residue/769469 "2016-10-23T14:12:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Alia\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Alia\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alia_S)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burned-plastic-in-the-oven-leave-a-toxic-residue/769469/1 "2016-10-23T14:12:47Z")

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New here, found [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=45347)thread, similar question. I preheated the oven to 425, forgetting that I’d left a bread pan with a knife in it in the oven. The knife handle melted and may have burned a little. I don’t know what kind of plastic it was. The melted part remained in the bread pan, but I’m wondering if smoke particles would have stuck to the inside of the oven, and will revaporize and contaminate the food I cook in there next time? I’m not really concerned for myself but I’m cooking dinner for a 7-weeks pregnant friend tomorrow and don’t want to risk doing anything that might harm her baby.

I took a picture of the knife but can’t see how to post images here.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burned-plastic-in-the-oven-leave-a-toxic-residue/769469/2 "2016-10-23T14:21:15Z")

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There could be some tainting of the inside of the oven surfaces, but probably not much - it’s an aesthetic problem more than a poisoning risk.

Run the oven for half an hour, then let it cool with the door open, and the kitchen extractor on (or windows open)

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**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burned-plastic-in-the-oven-leave-a-toxic-residue/769469/3 "2016-10-23T14:45:15Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB … **Alia S.** … I agree with **Mangetout** … running your oven at 450ºF should break down what few toxins there might be … and then a good cleaning.

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**Author:** ![Alia\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Alia\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alia_S)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burned-plastic-in-the-oven-leave-a-toxic-residue/769469/4 "2016-10-24T00:20:16Z")

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Thank you, Mangetout and watchwolf49

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**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burned-plastic-in-the-oven-leave-a-toxic-residue/769469/5 "2016-10-25T10:38:43Z")

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Nothing to worry about . The burning of plastic produces quite foul smelling substances, and any contaminated food would taste far far worse than its threat to health.  
Run the oven up to temperature If it spells plasticy, run it until it doesn’t smell like melting plastic.