Millions Of Teflon Particles Are Mixed With Your Food While Cooking On Teflon-Coated Pan! (Research Results)

There is a shocking revelation by scientists who are studying the surface of a Teflon-coated pan. As per the scientists, thousands to millions of ultra-small Teflon plastic particles may be released during cooking as non-stick pots and pans gradually lose their coating.

As per the new study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, just a single small crack on the surface of a Teflon-coated pan can release about 9,100 plastic particles.

Risk of Plastic Debris Exposure

As per the researchers, the research findings show that there is a potential risk of Teflon plastic debris exposure during daily cooking.

The scientists assessed how millions of tiny plastic particles potentially come off during the cooking and washing of such non-stick pans and pots.

Indicating an increased risk of exposure to these chemicals during cooking, the release of 2.3 million micro plastics and nano plastics from broken coating was identified.

Teflon is the brand name of the chemical Polytetrafluoroethylene – a synthetic polymer containing just carbon and fluorine that is one of the most well-known and widely used forever chemicals.

The reason behind being called as forever chemicals, is the fact that these chemicals are not broken down easily in the environment and remain a persistent problem for several generations.

A co-author of the study from the University of Newcastle in Australia said that “The non-stick coating material Teflon is generally a family member of PFAS”.

What are PFAs?

PFAS, scientifically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of chemicals commonly found in non-stick cookware, waterproof cosmetics, firefighting foams as well as commercial products that resist grease and oil and have been in commercial use since the 1940s.

Previous research has linked the use of these chemicals to several health disorders, including reduced immunity, hormone disruption and increased risks of different types of cancer.

“Given the fact PFAS is a big concern, these Teflon microparticles in our food might be a health concern, [which] needs investigating because we don’t know much about these emerging contaminants,” Dr Fang said.

Scientists developed a new analysis method to directly visualise and identify ultrasmall Teflon microplastics and nanoplastics.

“We estimate that thousands to millions of Teflon microplastics and nanoplastics might be released during a mimic cooking process,” scientists wrote in the study.

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