DuPont, Teflon and the potential impact of a class action lawsuit.
In the 1930s DuPont, a U.S. firm, invented and began to market a substance called Teflon. Teflon is used today primarily as a non-stick coating for pots, pans and other cookware, though Teflon also has applications as a coating for textile based products such as clothes, apparel, carpeting and furniture. When manufacturing Teflon a chemical called perfluorooctanioc acid, or PFOA is used, though Teflon and PFOA are not the same PFOA is a chemical, Teflon is a name brand. This chemical, which some scientist have said is a likely human carcinogen, is the reason lawsuits have been filed.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency addresses PFOA, or C8 as it is sometimes called, giving specific attention to its potential harmful effects. The EPA points out that they are unaware of any information that the general public is being exposed to PFOA through the routine use of non-stick cookware. The website also says that the EPA knows of no reason for consumers to stop using non-stick cookware. The EPA points out that Teflon is not PFOA, but that PFOA is used in the manufacture of Teflon....