United States: According to a recent report, the US poison centers detected 267 cases of polymer fume fever last year.
According to health experts, this fever is rare and appears somewhat similar to the flu. It is caused by inhaling fumes from overheating a nonstick pan.
More about the news
The fever is also known as “Teflon flu,” a nod to the trademarked name given to the popular nonstick coating, where cases that appeared in 2023 are said to be the highest ever since 2000.
More about Teflon and other nonstick pans
As per the experts, Teflon and several other nonstick pans are made up of
polytetrafluoroethylene (also known as PTFE), as the New York Post reported.
These come under a significant category of PFAS (per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), which are also famous for being called “forever chemicals” because they could take several hundreds of years to break down.
Expert reports suggest that nonstick coatings can be more dangerous when exposed to temperatures over 500 degrees Fahrenheit, emitting vapors that cause “Teflon flu.”
What more do the experts have to say?
According to Zachary Hudson, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of British Columbia, “It’ll burn and release a very complex mix of oxidized, fluorinated substances. This is why they tell you: Don’t heat your Teflon pan to a high temperature,” the Washington Post reported.
As suggested by one of the German studies, the research found the emissions of PFAS from getting empty pans straight for 30 minutes. The study also suggests that the higher the temperature, the greater the poisonous emission would be.
As the New York Post reported, the researchers indicated, “There is no risk to human health at normal application temperatures.”
Moreover, while speaking to the Washington Post, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokesperson said that the agency is not fully aware of any research showing that PFAS used in nonstick cookware “presents a safety concern for consumers.”
It was added that all substances used in “food contact products” are subject to strict scientific review by FDA scientists.
More about polymer fume fever
Generally, polymer fume fever is seen to be associated with a fever accompanied by muscle pain, difficulty in breathing, and a headache,
Although these symptoms are temporary and start appearing within twelve hours of exposure, they could take 24 hours to fully develop.
According to federal government data, the US poison control centers reported an average of nine cases yearly between 2006 and 2012.
Nonstick pan harms, as per the experts
According to Australian research, just one scratch on a Teflon-coated pan could emit as many as 9,100 plastic particles.
Moreover, the inhalation of fumes from an overheated PTFE-treated pan is way more dangerous than ingesting the coating, as PTFE could also travel through our bodies without being absorbed.
However, the experts do believe that when a PTFE-treated pan shows signs of scratching, peeling, or flaking, one must change the pan.