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A single scratch on the surface of a non-stick pan can put millions of microplastics into food and homes, research suggests.
An Australian study — which used light waves to measure microscopic particles — found that just one crack in a Teflon-lined pan released an explosion of tiny toxins.
Per and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, are sticky and heat resistant particles used to make millions of kitchenware in the US.
In recent years, they have been linked to numerous health problems, including various cancers, autism, and infertility.
They are so abundant that a 2020 study found that 99 percent of Americans have some detectable levels of them in their bloodstream.
Researchers found just one five-centimeter (cm) scratch in Teflon pans — perhaps from a spatula or spoon — that released up to 2.3 million microplastics.
In total, more than 9,000 plastic particles were scattered in the pan.
Despite these risks, there are no existing federal regulations in the US about the amount of PFAS that may be on the surface of manufactured goods.
Researchers found that a single scratch on a non-stick pan can cause millions of dangerous microparticles to enter a person’s food, exposing them to long-term damage
“Given that PFAS is a major concern, these Teflon microparticles in our food can pose a health risk and should therefore be investigated as we don’t know much about these emerging contaminants,” said Dr. Cheng Fang, a senior researcher at Newcastle University in Australia.
Researchers, who published their findings in Science of the total environmentused Raman imaging to study the prevalence of particles coming off the pans.
The technique involves using light waves to track how particles scatter and interact with each other in a given space.
Using microscopic images, the light waves can track how many particles there are and how they move.
Millions of these particles were expelled from the pan, allowing them to get into food cooked on the dish.
Once a person eats food contaminated with PFAS chemicals, they will remain in the body for a long time as it disappears very slowly through the urine.
They are considered ‘forever chemicals’ because they take almost a decade to break down in the body and never in the environment.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not set an upper limit for the maximum amount of PFAS that can be safely consumed in food.
Instead of FDA regulations, researchers are advising people to be more careful about the types of products they choose to use.
Experts do not recommend using non-stick pans, especially those containing Teflon products.
“It gives us a strong warning that we need to be careful about selecting and using cookware to avoid food contamination,” said Professor Youhong Tang, a researcher from Australia’s Flinders University.
‘More research is recommended to address the risk assessment of the Teflon microplastics and nanoplastics, as Teflon is a relative of PFAS.’
Teflon is a manufacturing giant that makes many of the nonstick cookware Americans use today.
The non-stick coating uses a chemical called polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE), a type of PFAS.
There is no data showing whether it is more or less dangerous than other types of PFAS.
Experts worry that the prevalence of these chemicals in dishes, food packaging and other goods is unnecessarily exposing Americans to these dangerous chemicals.
Researchers warn that exposure to “forever chemicals” in young people can affect a child’s social and physical development, as well as affect behavior as they get older.
A Study from the University of Texas last year found that children exposed to PFAS in utero were more likely to develop autism.
Long-term exposure may also put a person at higher risk for kidney, testicular, ovarian, prostate, thyroid, and bone marrow cancers when they reach adulthood.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advised in a guideline issued in July that levels should not exceed 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) in drinking water.
Several states, including Maine, have also banned its use in products, including clothing and bedding.
Some fear that these dangerous chemicals are so widespread in American life that they are completely unavoidable.
Sydney Evans, an analyst with Washington DC-based law firm the Environmental Working Group, told DailyMail.com that: “It’s really hard to work your way out when [PFAS exposure].’
‘You can get away’ [one product]but the thing you’re replacing it with also has PFAS.’