The end of "Teflon"?
2006/02/22 10:43 Environment
The
ubiquitous chemical PFOA, “used to
make waterproof clothing, phone cables,
building materials and more,” has
been detected in 95% of Americans and
even in arctic polar bears. The
Los Angeles
Times reports
“In animal tests, it has been
found to cause birth defects and has
been linked to cancer and immune
suppression, among other health
problems. It stays in the human body
for years and is passed on to a fetus
during pregnancy.” Last year
DuPont dished out the largest EPA fine
in history for its PFOA cover-up
($16.5 million), and
the company will pay a $342 million
settlement for contaminating residential
water supplies in Ohio and West Virginia.
Now that DuPont is already scaling back
emissions to avoid further settlements,
instead of issuing a ban, the EPA has
asked the chemicals industry to prevent
the release of PFOA into the environment.
Will this be the end of Teflon
manufacturing?
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