The great spring cleaning is approaching and in the sorting, an object in your kitchen should be thrown away immediately: Teflon utensils. On Instagram, a post put online at the end of last week shows the images of a set of “C à vous”, where Anne-Elisabeth Lemoine received actor Mark Ruffalo on February 13, 2020 on the occasion of the promotion of the film Dark Waters. In this film, he embodies the true story of Robert Bilott, a lawyer specializing in the defense of the chemical industries.
On the set, Mark Ruffalo returned to the Teflon scandal which would be involved in the film. “It’s something that everyone has today everywhere in the world”, emphasizes Anne-Elisabeth Lemoine. And the actor to answer him: “99% of human beings on the planet are contaminated”, before recalling the high risk of cancer behind.
Except that the publication seen on Instagram adds: “Do you like frying in these pans that do not stick and which almost clean themselves? You like these protective and “breathable” clothes in which – finally! – you can walk in the rain and stay warm and dry? Even without using it regularly, you probably already have ALL of it in your blood. Enough to ? PFOA, a toxin present everywhere in our daily lives… and which can go so far as to damage our DNA”. If Teflon has already been proven to be dangerous for health, the consequence on a possible change in DNA has not been validated. 20 minutes tell you more.
FAKE OFF
The Teflon kitchen utensil had everything to please when it was marketed several decades ago. The pans no longer hung and made cooking much easier, as well as cleaning it. This formula, which seemed magical, was linked to one of its components, perfluoro-octonoic acid (PFOA)… a practical but dangerous recipe. According to a document published by the INRS (National Institute for Research and Security)it was also used in many conditions for “various industrial sectors (aerospace, construction, automotive, electronics”, but also used “on fabrics, packaging, rugs and carpets, non-stick coatings”.
However, the publication seen on Instagram mixes many studies related to this subject. “The main problem with this kind of assertion is that it is true from the point of view of the dangers, but to be qualified from the point of view of the risks which take exposure into account”, confirms the director of the Inserm team – Metatox, Xavier Coumoul.
Several cancers detected
Also according to the INRS document, studies have been carried out on both rats and humans to determine the toxicity of PFOA. “PFOA is absorbed mainly through the oral route and, to a lesser extent, through the dermal and respiratory routes,” the database reads. The INRS shows that although data in humans are rare, it has been proven that PFOA mainly affects the liver, lungs and kidneys. In mice, impairment of the hepatic immune system has also been demonstrated.
What about carcinogenic effects? “At high doses of exposure, PFOA is tumorigenic by the oral route”, conclude two elaborate studies on rats. In humans, several studies have analyzed the effects of exposure to PFOA on several factory workers concerned. “Some studies have shown excess kidney, prostate and testicular cancers in populations exposed to PFOA and/or its ammonium salts”, highlights the toxicological sheet.
What consequences?
More broadly, multiple studies conclude that fetal development is impaired, the immune system is weakened and the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased. Moreover, PFOA constitutes several dangers reported by the European Chemicals Agency (Echa): it can harm fertility, can be harmful to babies fed with breast milk and can cause serious eye damage.
However, its link with a DNA break is less established today. “PFOA-induced DNA damage […] can develop mutagenicity under conditions where apoptosis [la mort cellulaire programmée] PFOA-induced is not sufficient to eliminate damaged cells,” evaluates a first study. But a second contradicts the elements: PFAO “could not induce an increase in DNA damage (DNA strand breaks and micronucleus)”.
Finally, in July 2020, the European Union banned the use of PFOA, which is now on the list of persistent organic pollutants. Already under pressure, manufacturers must now adapt and use new molecules. But according to a survey of 60 million consumers, the replacement techniques would not necessarily be better for health. This is particularly the case for GenX or PFBS polymers, also under Echa’s radar. So, UFC What to choose recommends instead to turn to materials such as ceramics… which would be much less dangerous for health.