I just discovered today that the calzone maker my mom and stepdad have is coated with Teflon. They've had it since December and use it almost religiously
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Argh. It's like someone saying, "Well, I've never had lung cancer, so I can just keep smoking!"
Here is an article that references quite a number of actual scientific studies/reports looking at the conditions under which PTFE off-gassing has killed birds of different species (and rats, and made humans ill). It can happen at temperatures below 400F, not just at "high" temperatures.
IF nothing malfunctions, AND the pan is only in use for short amounts of time, AND the birds are as far away as possible in a well-ventilated space, it's relatively safe, but I personally would not consider it risk-free.
Ooh, that's a good source too! When I hunted through my links I was amused to find that my two favorites were both from the EWG, and now this makes three.
I am not an "expert on Teflon," but I do have a physics and astronomy background which help me to understand what the experts out there say. Some key points I have gleaned in my readings.
1) Teflon/PFTE cookware starts off gassing as low as around 400ºF, and the worst toxins happen near 700ºF. Your pot will quickly reach this temperature if you preheat it. (Source) You can minimize the risk of reaching these temperatures by not preheating pans, and by always using a timer when you cook with Teflon/non-stick so you don't burn off the liquid or other contents. For plug-in Teflon equipment (such as a George Foreman Grill, rice cooker, waffle iron, or toaster oven), regularly inspect for damage, and never use them unsupervised - under normal use they should not reach the temperatures for toxic off gassing, but the main way that electronics fail is by overheating
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Thank you for the info! I'm saving these urls and showing them to her ASAP. I already talked to her some more about it about how the toxins stay in the air and can fill up the birds' lungs. All the other cookware we have has no Teflon save for I think 2 or so, one of them being that calzone maker. We have a mudroom attached to the kitchen, so I think it should go in there if they have to have it. All windows are usually open anyway and we have fans, a/c, etc.
The toxic gases that affect birds in a dramatic, rapid and lethal fashion come from the offgassing of PTFE when heated to such and such a temperature; how would those gases come out of your carpet, unless your house was on fire?
The answer to your question is in the link that I gave with this information, repeated here in case you missed it. To quote the relevant parts and summarize:
"For dogs likely sources of exposure include food contaminated with PFCs leaching from dog food bag coatings, as well as house dust, and stain-proofed furniture, dog beds, and carpets. ... Likely sources of PFCs in cats include food contaminated with PFCs leaching from food bag coatings, house dust, and stain-proofed furniture, cat beds, and carpets."
(PFCs are one of the categories of toxic chemicals related to PFTE, which is the generic name for Teflon, and the report refers to PFCs as being "Teflon chemicals".)
Just because the chemicals are released when things burn doesn't mean it's the ONLY way the chemicals are released. For example, it's bad for birds to inhale fumes from a burning cigarette, but it'd also be bad for a bird to chew on a cigarette.
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Here is an article that references quite a number of actual scientific studies/reports looking at the conditions under which PTFE off-gassing has killed birds of different species (and rats, and made humans ill). It can happen at temperatures below 400F, not just at "high" temperatures.
IF nothing malfunctions, AND the pan is only in use for short amounts of time, AND the birds are as far away as possible in a well-ventilated space, it's relatively safe, but I personally would not consider it risk-free.
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And, funnily enough, she's been smoking since she was about 12. She's 55.
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1) Teflon/PFTE cookware starts off gassing as low as around 400ºF, and the worst toxins happen near 700ºF. Your pot will quickly reach this temperature if you preheat it. (Source) You can minimize the risk of reaching these temperatures by not preheating pans, and by always using a timer when you cook with Teflon/non-stick so you don't burn off the liquid or other contents. For plug-in Teflon equipment (such as a George Foreman Grill, rice cooker, waffle iron, or toaster oven), regularly inspect for damage, and never use them unsupervised - under normal use they should not reach the temperatures for toxic off gassing, but the main way that electronics fail is by overheating ( ... )
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Again, thank you! Still reading your sources. :)
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"For dogs likely sources of exposure include food contaminated with PFCs leaching from dog food bag coatings, as well as house dust, and stain-proofed furniture, dog beds, and carpets. ... Likely sources of PFCs in cats include food contaminated with PFCs leaching from food bag coatings, house dust, and stain-proofed furniture, cat beds, and carpets."
(PFCs are one of the categories of toxic chemicals related to PFTE, which is the generic name for Teflon, and the report refers to PFCs as being "Teflon chemicals".)
Just because the chemicals are released when things burn doesn't mean it's the ONLY way the chemicals are released. For example, it's bad for birds to inhale fumes from a burning cigarette, but it'd also be bad for a bird to chew on a cigarette.
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