Curse

Dex · Jan 31, 2006, 10:32 PM // 22:32

A chemical called PFOA that is used to make Teflon and other non-stick and stain resistant substances may be giving us all cancer. I'm not an environmentalist freak, but this one is actually pretty scary.

I've been following this for about a year now. Based on other things I've read I'm 99% sure that DuPont is full of crap about this, and that the manufacture of Teflon and similar non-stick technologies (Scotch Guard, etc.) are extremely hazardous to mammals in particular -- yes, including humans. Although exposure to PFOA is pretty much unavoidable, (it's a 100% synthetic, man-made substance, yet has been found in the bodies of dolphins in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!) I would strongly recommend trying to limit your exposure to all products wherein PFOA is used in manufacturing.

Right now, DuPont's main argument is that there isn't enough data to prove that PFOA has the same carcinogenic effect on humans as is does on other lower mammals. The thing is, most things that are carcinogens for other mammals are also carcinogens for humans, so I don't really see much validity in their argument. Besides, is it really an environmentally safe policy to say that it's ok to drastically increase occurrences of certain kinds of cancer -- even if it is just in animals? I think not.

I'm not typically a crusader about things like this, but like I said, I've been following this for about a year now, and frankly it scares the hell out of me. This is something that not very many people know about and I believe could pose a serious health hazard to all mammalian life on Earth sometime in the not-too-distant future. I believe that the burden of proof that PFOA is environmentally safe should be placed on DuPont and other PFOA producers directly. Take a looky at these:

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/teflon/

http://www.truthout.org/docs_05/011905X.shtml

and one from today:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060131/..._me/epa_teflon

Thoughts?

SOT · Jan 31, 2006, 10:54 PM // 22:54

I enjoyed the links, as they helped me frame a response.

Teflon is NOT a synthetic, man-made substance in its entirety, and is, in fact, made from a derivative of silicon base elements. It was developed synthetically USING that, but it is not wholly man made.

I do agree to the scariness of all of this however, but then again, if dolphins out at sea cannot avoid it, it is pretty unrealistic thinking to assume an everday person can "cut out the fake shit" to easily.

Based on my own life experience, and what I have been told, read and seen, throughout my time on this galactic tumor, I have come to the conclusion that, no matter what we intake or do, it isn't good for us, so pick your poison.

I also believe that teflon comes in food. I have been reading articles about some kinda madness with PAM cooking spray, that it is INSIDE the can, and thus end up on peoples omelete. This is not good.

And do not even get me started on aspartame, which has COBALT in it...

Dex · Jan 31, 2006, 11:15 PM // 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOT

Teflon is NOT a synthetic, man-made substance in its entirety, and is, in fact, made from a derivative of silicon base elements. It was developed synthetically USING that, but it is not wholly man made.

True. Perhaps my wording was off. The point I was trying to make is that PFOA specifically is not a naturally-occurring substance. Therefore, it's disturbing that it's presence in the bodies of organisms worldwide is so common, ya know, because it causes cancer and birth defects.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOT

Based on my own life experience, and what I have been told, read and seen, throughout my time on this galactic tumor, I have come to the conclusion that, no matter what we intake or do, it isn't good for us, so pick your poison.

Agreed. I just felt the urge to draw attention to this one. I'm getting really tired of the general public's tendancy to allow themselves to be tricked and misdirected into allowing companies and governments to get away with things like this. DuPont knew about the dangers of PFOA a long time ago and did nothing about it -- and they're still trying to avoid cutting into their PFOA-related product sales. It's time to start making people accountable for the damage they've done, profits be damned.

I agree that it is 100% unrealistic to think that we can EVER undo the damage that has been done, but we can prevent things like this from happening in the future, and public awareness is the first step.

Old Dood · Feb 01, 2006, 12:04 AM // 00:04

Well that goes for LEAD too. I was reading my newest greatest book recently. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. We use to have lead in gasoline because it took away engine knock. I remember when they first took lead out and all of our cars sounded horrible. When you shut them off they kept "running" with engine knock. Anyways the point is there is a generation of people all over the planet with lead in our systems. My generation is one of them. Very nasty stuff. The kicker is....there are lots of other governments/countries(mainly third world) that still use lead in their fuel today.

Lasareth · Feb 01, 2006, 12:08 AM // 00:08

Oh, we've certainly come a ways

Just food for thought, imagine how many radio/cellphone/etc waves are passing through you right now

Ultimate_Gaara · Feb 01, 2006, 12:15 AM // 00:15

Im not sure about my carpet but im pretty sure my frying pan had Teflon in it, well that was until it slowly pealed off and made my eggs taste funny... boy did I dodge a bullet there.

Dex · Feb 01, 2006, 12:19 AM // 00:19

Yeah, lead was a big one. The thing is, since it was so easy to prove that lead had negative effects on the health of humans it wasn't difficult to require its use be outlawed in products with direct human exposure (pipes, paint, gasoline, etc.)

One of the problems with PFOA is that DuPont has thus far been successful in delaying any kind of real investigations into its long-term safety. They make the statement that "there are no in-depth studies that show that PFOA is harmful to humans." Now, it almost sounds like they're saying, "our studies show that PFOA is not harmful to humans." They're not. What they're saying is that they haven't done studies. However, DuPont was forced to disclose internal DuPont documents from the '50s that show that employees in facilities where PFOA was manufactured were strongly advised to avoid exposure to the chemical. Other documents disclosed showed evidence that 2 out of 5 pregnant employees who were exposed to PFOA over a certain period of time gave birth to babies with severe eye and face deformities. Since DuPont has seen fit to use PFOA in the manufacture of products that we wear, breathe, and eat, don't you think that they ought to be able to produce proof that it is, in fact, NOT harmful to humans!?!?!?

As I said, it's even scarier to think that this substance is found within the bodies of organisms all over the world -- even in remote areas like the Arctic and the middle of the ocean -- considering that it is a man-made and toxic substance.

Old Dood · Feb 01, 2006, 12:23 AM // 00:23

I am sure it comes down to politics and a strong lobby by companies like DuPont. Look at our present Administration...

Dex · Feb 01, 2006, 12:31 AM // 00:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Dood

I am sure it comes down to politics and a strong lobby by companies like DuPont. Look at our present Administration...

Of that I have little doubt. Politics and its driving force: $$$. I wonder how much they've decided our health and safety are worth today...

SOT · Feb 01, 2006, 03:30 AM // 03:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dex

Of that I have little doubt. Politics and its driving force: $$$. I wonder how much they've decided our health and safety are worth today...

The punchline will come when no one without 3 eyes and no gonads will be left to spend it all

I have several books on serial killers, and it is mentioned in several places that many of the brains of now dead killers had high concentrations of lead in them. Ted bundy for example, had near lethal amounts on his cerebellum.

And Sen. Joe Lieberman thinks GTA is bad for violence