# Teflon and flame retardants **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teflon-and-flame-retardants/335095 "2005-12-11T03:16:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teflon-and-flame-retardants/335095/1 "2005-12-11T03:16:40Z")
A friend claimed that a recent study found that almost everyone in America has significant quantities of teflon and flame retardants in their bodies. This supposedly is because the teflon from pots and pans gets mixed with our food, and flame retardants from clothing (especially children’s pajamas) are inhaled into our body. True? ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teflon-and-flame-retardants/335095/2 "2005-12-11T03:26:17Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > A friend claimed that a recent study found that almost everyone in America has significant quantities of teflon and flame retardants in their bodies. This supposedly is because the teflon from pots and pans gets mixed with our food, and flame retardants from clothing (especially children’s pajamas) are inhaled into our body. True? Not True. No cite! Turn on your BS detector. Nothing to it. An old wives’ tale or uran legend. Teflon is essentially inert to most chemicals, solvents, etc. EXCEPT excessive heat! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teflon-and-flame-retardants/335095/3 "2005-12-11T03:43:42Z")
It looks to me that there’s some valid cause for concern on teflon breakdown products: [DuPont, EPA Settle Case On Chemical Disclosure](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/29/AR2005112901382.html) > [@](#): > > Federal officials and the DuPont Co. have reached a settlement on charges that the chemical giant concealed possible harmful health effects associated with perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical compound used to produce Teflon. > > Neither DuPont nor the Environmental Protection Agency would disclose the terms of the deal… [Effects of Perfluorooctanoic Acid on the Synthesis of Phospholipids in…](http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:bKsX_pRtvGIJ:jhs.pharm.or.jp/47(2)/47(2)p168.pdf+perfluorooctanoic+tissue&hl=en) > [@](#): > > Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a peroxisome proliferator, causes marked changes in lipid metabolism in rodents. The amounts of various phospho-lipids as well as triacylglycerol (TG) in the liver were greatly increased by the treatment of rats with PFOA [Toxicity and toxicokinetics of perfluorooctanoic acid in humans and animals.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12820537&dopt=Abstract) > [@](#): > > It was reported that PFOA is found not only in the serum of occupationally exposed workers but also general populations. Recent studies have suggested that the biological half-life of PFOA in humans is 4.37 years based on study of occupationally exposed workers. It is increasingly suspect that PFOA accumulates and affects human health, although the toxicokinetics of PFOA in humans remain unclear. I remember a scare concerning the chemicals used in flame retardent clothes for kids 15 or 20 years ago, but I don’t know what came of it, and haven’t run across anything about it recently. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teflon-and-flame-retardants/335095/4 "2005-12-11T05:12:43Z")
Many concerns, yes, but studies are inconclusive at best and no one agrees on safe exposure levels. I think the guideline is to keep temperatures under 400 degrees F. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teflon-and-flame-retardants/335095/5 "2005-12-12T14:03:31Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > A friend claimed that a recent study found that almost everyone in America has significant quantities of teflon and flame retardants in their bodies. This supposedly is because the teflon from pots and pans gets mixed with our food, and flame retardants from clothing (especially children’s pajamas) are inhaled into our body. True? Define ‘significant’. If you live in a western country you will almst certainly have measurable quantities of flame retardants in your body. [one of many articles on the subject](http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20011013/bob18.asp). Pyjamas? Dunno about that, but since most plastic semi-durables (car dashboards, TVs, etc.) have these things added, the daily environment has plenty of these chemicals, and they bioaccumulate. As regards Teflon, I haven’t heard that much about it affecting humans, but given that it is a well-known [killer of birds](http://www.theaviary.com/teflon.shtml) I would assume there is also plenty of it knocking about in the average house, but not enough to affect humans much.