News Coverage
Group Says C8 Use Should Stop
Published April 8, 2003
It's everywhere. It's toxic. And, it lasts forever.
That's the conclusion drawn by the Environmental Working Group about C8 and its family of chemicals, although DuPont officials claim there are no known adverse human health or environmental effects associated with the chemical.
In anticipation of a final report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that assesses the risks of the manufacturing chemical known as C8, a coalition of Washington, D.C., researchers who call themselves the Environmental Working Group, compiled its own comprehensive study on the hazards of the family of chemicals which includes the chemical known as PFOA, or simply, C8. The group concludes its use should be discontinued.
DuPont's Washington, W.Va., Works plant on the Ohio River recently came under criticism because C8, used in the plant's manufacturing processes, was detected in area water sources, including the Little Hocking Water Association. It prompted a class-action lawsuit by people who contend they have been exposed to a potentially harmful manufacturing substance.
Available online at www.ewg.org, the detailed study includes an interactive map that shows nearly all of the publicly available findings of PFCs in people, animals, air, and water, including the blood test results of some DuPont employees. C8 falls under the family of chemicals called PFCs, or perfluorochemicals, used in products once considered household magic because of their amazing properties. They are the foundation of a multi-billion dollar industry that makes such popular stain- and water-resistant consumer products as Gore-Tex, Scotchgard, SilverStone and Stainmaster.
Irvin Lipp of DuPont's public affairs office in Wilmington, Delaware, responded to the study by reiterating that all products sold under the Teflon and Stainmaster brands are safe, even though they contain PFCs. The company is standing by its claim that C8 is not a danger to humans.
"As the global leader in fluorine chemistry, DuPont is committed to continuously evaluating the safety of its products and processes," Lipp said. "Extensive scientific research and testing supports the conclusion that DuPont Stainmaster and Teflon branded products are safe for consumers."
Three years ago, the EPA forced PFOS, a sister chemical commonly used in 3M's Scotchgard and other stain-repellent products, off the market because of potential health risks. Since that time, the Environmental Working Group has reviewed 1,500 documents, including 50,000 pages of study materials, evaluating the PFC family of chemicals which includes both C8, or PFOA, and the original ingredient in Scotchgard, PFOS.
Cookware, clothing, sporting goods, furniture, personal care products, pet supplies, carpet, cleaning products, gardening and automotive products, all contain PFCs, which the Environmental Working Group says are so prevalent, persistent, and toxic that they should be phased out at the insistence of the EPA.
PFCs have been found in food, air, and drinking water. Although some exposure may be unavoidable, the Environmental Working Group says avoiding many PFCs in future purchases of consumer products will help reduce the impact on human health and animals.
But, according to Richard Wiles, senior vice president of the Environmental Working Group, phasing the chemical out of general use may help reduce its potential presence if quick action is taken, but the chemical will continue to increase in the environment.
"Even if we ban it today we will still end up with more," Wiles said. "It will continue to increase, unlike other harmful chemicals including DDT. If not, we are looking at a real crisis down the road."
Wiles is convinced the chemical family is carcinogenic for humans even though the EPA research has not yet explored its cancer-causing properties.
While the exact human health risks posed by C8, or PFOA, and other PFCs has yet to be established by the EPA, the Environmental Working Group points out that it is a known reproductive toxin for animals.
Suzanne Ackerman, EPA press officer, said the agency's risk assessment report on the chemical has not yet been finalized, but an announcement is expected within days to explain how the EPA will handle further research or action regarding the PFC chemical family.
Environmental Working Group's tips
Phase out the use of Teflon and other non-stick cookware that is heated in your home.