[slumdev]

My takeaways:

1. Open the windows as often as weather allows.

2. Don't use nonstick pans unless they're cast iron or some kind of fired enamel.

3. Use a water purifier.

[nate_meurer]

There are no mobile PFAS chemicals in nonstick cookware. Nonstick coatings are made from PTFE, which is a completely inert polymer that cannot be broken down into mobile components unless it's overheated. The fluorinated chemicals used in the manufacture of the coatings (largely surfactants) are completely removed when the coating is baked on, and they have to be or else the coating would fail.

PTFE is used in medical implants. You can eat it. In no case that I'm aware of have these things resulted in detectable fluorinated compounds in someone's blood stream.

[kaitai]

People "overheat" their cookware all the time. Do you know anyone who measures the temp of the surface of their cookware?

Teflon and nonstick coatings kill birds (house pets) when overheated. A nonstick pan in the oven to catch the drippings from your chicken baking at 400 or 425 can kill your parrot quickly. A nonstick wok left unattended for a few minutes during a high-heat stir fry easily reaches 400, enough to kill your cockatiel.

And as another poster has noted, those coatings always start flaking off.

Why buy something that produces fumes enough to kill your house pets and also has planned obsolescence built in when you can get a cast iron pan that's indestructible and will increase your iron intake a bit? It's not hard to develop a great seasoning on it that's essentially non-stick. I use cast iron for almost everything, and enamel for a few remaining applications.

[atom_arranger]

There aren't any long term studies comparing people who cook with non-stick vs stainless or cast iron, so we can only guess about long term and population level effects based on limited information.

I personally would not take the risk given the benefit is just a pan that things stick to less. Medical uses are more justifiable.

[GordonS]

With every non-stick pan I've ever owned, the coating eventually starts flaking off. Usually after less than 1 year of use. I'm pretty sure I must have ingested plenty of these coatings over the years...

[colechristensen]

PTFE burns at high but commonly achieved cooking temperatures, the result is a fine particulate in the air. You have to be careful (and many aren’t) to only use nonstick for low to medium temperature cooking.

[someguy321]

I think PTFE pans are overheated more often than we expect.

[slumdev]

The idea that PTFE doesn't break down except at very high temperatures is not true.

Breakdown begins to occur at either 200 or 260 degrees Celsius (depending on what data you're looking at). These temperatures are well within the realm of temperatures that even a home chef might encounter.

[BiteCode_dev]

Sure but this puts the burden on the citizen.

I'm all about taking your health into your hands, but it won't hold on the long run.

We also need strong policies against this.

[slumdev]

Yeah, I agree that these things probably ought to be legislated out of existence, but I don't hold my breath on it.

[meristohm]

Contrary responses aside, these three actions seem healthy. I’ll add that I’d like to see regulation towards cleaner air, water, and land, so that avoidance/mitigation is less necessary.

[nradov]

In California now it seems like we have an extended wildfire season every summer where no one wants to open the windows due to bad air quality.

[sgc]

But we are also running hepa filters inside for the same reason.