Teflon Dangers?

CNN The Situation Room, Brian Todd
Published January 26, 2006

BLITZER: It's a chemical commonly found in items all of us use every day. But might they be dangerous? Our Brian Todd has been checking out the safety of a chemical called PFOA. What are you picking up, Brian? BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, one thing government officials and scientists want us to remember about this is that there's no cause for widespread panic over this chemical, PFOA, that's in question here. But the widespread use of this substance is what's leading them to take precautions. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TODD: Wearing and washing your clothes, walking on your carpet, eating a small order of fries from your local fast food joint. Could those simple acts expose you do a dangerous carcinogen? Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency have suspicions about the chemical called perfluorooctanic acid, or PFOA. But they're not entirely sure. And they're asking eight major corporations to help eliminate the risk. SUSAN HAZEN, EPA: Asking them to voluntarily commit to reduce their emissions and use in products by 95 percent by the year 2010 and to move towards toward virtual elimination by the year 2015. TODD: Companies like Dupont use PFOA to make Teflon, which goes into the stain resistance in clothing. PFOA's also used to make the coating inside small french fry holders and popcorn packages that keep the oil from leaking through. TIM KROPP, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: It's actually coating the paper that once you heat up and moves into the oil around the popcorn and then you ingest it. TODD: Tim Kropp, a scientist for the public health watchdog called the Environmental Working Group says with clothing, the stain resistant from Teflon gets broken down when you wear and wash your clothes. Then it turns into PFOA particles that you inhale. Kropp's group says 96 percent of Americans have at least some level of PFOA in their systems. The chemical's been shown to cause cancer in animals, but no one's been able to link the levels of PFOA found in household products to cancer in humans. (END VIDEOTAPE) TODD: As for the manufacturers, the EPA has sent out letters to the eight company companies that use PFOA to make these coatings, asking them to eliminate emissions and content levels in their products. Dupont is the biggest of those companies, and so far the only one that's responded. We got this statement from Dupont today, quote, "Dupont has been aggressively reducing PFOA emissions to the environment, having achieved a 94 percent reduction in global manufacturing emissions by year end 2005. We are well on our way to meet the goals and objectives established by the EPA stewardship program" -- Wolf? BLITZER: Brian, so does this mean we all have to run out and get rid of our stain-resistant carpeting or clothing? TODD: Absolutely not. According to the EPA official we spoke to, in her words specifically, we have no information that consumer products are causing a hazard or risk here. They're really just taking a precaution. BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us. Thank you, Brian, very much. ...