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One
of the companies that makes a nonstick cookware
product (DuPont Teflon®) has been sending
letters to webmasters demanding that they remove
any reference of their product (Teflon®)
harming birds from their web pages.
This is
a quote from their letter:
"As
such, we ask that you remove all references to DuPont Teflon®
from your
internet website by week day, November XX, 2002. Please confirm in
writing
your compliance to this request so we can note our records" (date
changed
to protect the recipient of this letter)
This
web page is my effort to clear up any misconceptions
about nonstick products, and the use of the
word "Teflon®" on web pages. This
page is in the public domain so anyone is free
to link to it, copy it to their web site, or
email it. There is no copyright on this page
so feel free to do whatever you want with it.
Web
site owners can use the word Teflon® to
talk about the dangers of PTFE as long as they
use the trademark symbol "®" with
the word, and also mention that it isn't just
the Teflon® brand but all nonstick products
that emit dangerous fumes.
Pans,
as well as other products treated with the non-stick
coating polytetrafluorethylene, which are referred
to by a number of names including Teflon®,
Innovex 75T nonstick coating, and Thermo-SpotT
as well as others, can cause the death of birds
if overheated. Dupont, which manufactures Teflon®
has a bird safety page online that admits, if
you read to the very bottom of the page, that
fumes from overheated PTFE products such as
Teflon® can harm your bird. Your own veterinarian
can confirm that fumes from overheated PTFE
products, including but not limited to Teflon®,
can and does kill birds very quickly.
This
information needs to be on the product label
so that customers, if they have pet birds, will
be aware of the problem before they make the
purchase.
Environmental Working Group(EWG)
-- News
articles and general information on the dangers
of PTFE.
The
Silent Killer -- An
informative article about the dangers of PTFE to pet birds. Discusses
the history of PTFE, its harmful properties, and lists many products
containing it.
TeflonTM
poisoning: The Silent Killer by Dr. Darrel K.
Styles--- http://www.oldworldaviaries.com/text/styles/teflon.html
The
Nature Chest Bird Shop -- A
news letter on the dangers of PTFE from someone
who has had first hand experience with it.
The degradation
products of PTFE have been known to be extremely toxic to humans for
50 years. See: Harris, D.K., _The Lancet_ 1008 (1951).
The San
Antonio Zoo in Texas lost 21 birds in an outdoor aviary awhile back.
Their death was caused when the birds gathered by lights that the zoo
had installed so that the birds could warm themselves in an outdoor
aviary. The bulbs had been coated with PTFE.
From http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/teflon.htm
Blandford
TB, Seamon PJ, Hughes R, Pattison M, Wilderspin MP. "A case of
polytetrafluoroethylene poisoning in cockatiels accompanied by polymer
fume fever in the owner." Veterinary Record, 1975, V.96, No. 8,
p.175-176.
Duff P.
"Acute inhalant toxicosis of cagebirds." Veterinary Record,1997,
V. 141, No. 4, p. 107.
Ehrsam H.
["Fatal poisoning of small pet birds following accidental overheating
of cooking pans lined with polytetrafluorethylene."] Schweiz Arch
Tierheilkd (Switzerland), 1969, V. 111, No. 4, p. 181-186.
Forbes NA,
Jones D. "PTFE toxicity in birds." Veterinary Record, 1997,
V. 140, N. 19, p. 512.
Holt PE.
"PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) toxicity in birds." Veterinary
Record, 1997, V. 141, No. 7, p. 180.
Lumeij JT.
["Risk for pet birds following exposure to burn products of pans
coated with PTFE and butter."] Tijdschr Diergeneeskd (Netherlands),
1997, Vol. 122, No. 24, p. 720.
Stoltz JH,
Galey F, Johnson B. "Sudden death in ten psittacine birds associated
with the operation of a self-cleaning oven." Veterinary and Human
Toxicology, 1992, Vol. 34, No. 5, p. 420-421.
Temple WA,
Edwards IR, Bell SJ. "Poly (polymer) fume fever - two fatal cases
(cage birds)." New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 1985, Vol. 33, No.
3, p. 30.
Temple WA,
Edwards IR, Bell SJ. "Poly fume fever - two fatal cases (poisoning
of Psittaciformes by fumes from heated teflon saucepans)." Australian
Veterinary Practitioner, 1985, Vol. 15, No. 2, p. 66.
Wells RE.
"Fatal toxicosis in pet birds caused by an overheated cooking pan
lined with polytetrafluoroethylene." Journal of the American Veterinary
Medical Association, 1983, Vol. 182, No. 11, p. 1248-1250.
Wells RE,
Slocombe RF, Trapp AL. "Acute toxicosis of budgerigars (Melopsittacus
undulatus) caused by pyrolysis products from heated polytetrafluoroethylene:
clinical study." American Journal of Veterinary Research, 1982,
Vol. 43, No. 7, p. 1238-1242.
Wells RE,
Slocombe RF. "Acute toxicosis of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)
caused by pyrolysis products from heated polytetrafluoroethylene: microscopic
study." American Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Vol. 43, No. 7,
p. 1243-1248.
Here's a
report about Teflon® coated heat lamps allegedly causing raptor
deaths. Unfortunately, no reference to the original source is given
--
"Another
relatively new product is a make of heat lamp, which is designed and
markets which is painted on the exterior with Teflon®, In the
case involving the heat lamps, the lamps were being used to prevent
chilling of raptors that were being kept in otherwise unheated buildings
over night. The lamps appeared to function safely for one year, after
which time, with continued use at their normal working temperatures,
several poisonings occurred. In all 8 birds died over a period of
three months. All birds died or were affected by fumes over night.
The lamps were the proven source of the fumes. Histopathalogical findings
were consistent with Teflon® toxicosis." (source: http://www.parrotline.org/teflon.html)
Many
thanks to Judith and Rex for their invaluable
information!
Jackie
Collins
Disclaimer:
Gore-tex®, SilverStone®and Teflon®are
registered trademarks of Dupont Chemical Company.
Stainmaster®and Scotchgard®are the registered
trademarks of 3M. Guardsman®® is a registered
trademark of Lilly Industries. Dupont Chemical
Company, 3M, and Lilly Industries do not sponsor
or endorse this page
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