What did you cook your breakfast in this morning? If it was one of those ultra-handy non-stick pans, you just increased the amount of toxic PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), also known as C-8, in your bloodstream. The dangers of using these chemicals in everyday products became apparent to the public when bird-lovers first noticed that their feathered friends were dropping dead whenever they cooked in their new non-stick pans. During manufacturing alone, 33% of the chemical is released into the air. Even polar bears and bald eagles in their natural habitats have this long lasting toxin in their blood. That fact makes it less surprising that even banked blood contains it. The manufacturing company 3M was one of the first companies to react to the clearly evident dangers and halt the use of C-8. DuPont, however, along with 6 other major manufacturing companies (the company that produces Teflon) continues to use it despite a lawsuit involving hundreds of animal deaths and countless deformations in developing children. This raises the question, “Should I be concerned about whether or not I have this toxin in my body?” The answer is no. If polar bears have it, so do you. The main concern is the level of exposure, especially for your children or developing fetuses. C-8 damages the body’s ability to produce cholesterol, which may be worse than too much cholesterol. Read about SLOS – a disease involving this very problem- and any elation about lowered cholesterol will melt away. Not much is known about the effects of low cholesterol on the body, only that they are significant.
PFOS are found in Scothgard and Teflon – water-proofing materials used on such products as fast food and frozen food packaging, pizza boxes, microwavable popcorn, stain resistant furniture, carpets, and clothing, and more. Unfortunately, the chemical is readily absorbed through many means, including through the digestive system. Look ahead for an upcoming article on the history of the use of this chemical and phasing-out program that has already been initiated, though the dangers of C-8 still have not been thoroughly publicly announced for commercial reasons.
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