Several times over the past few years I have read terrifying stories of
people I know loosing their entire in house flock of birds because they were cooking and
walked away from their chore later to find that their birds were dying suddenly and
without explanation. Even though it has been widely thought that PTFE was
the cause there has been very little research on the subject and nowhere could I locate a
"gathering" of the information.
Here are some facts, opinions and warnings on the subject in a manner that
I hope won't be to "scientific" to understand yet "scientific" enough
for you to believe the warnings and remember that YOU have to take some responsibility and
be aware of the dangers and act accordingly. If you have birds in your home hopefully you
will avoid these dangers.
Symptoms:
flu-like illness with chest tightness and mild cough;
Signs: leucocytosis; normal chest x-ray;
Onset after exposure: 4-8 hours;
Heavy exposure to: pyrolysis products of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE,
trade names Fluon, (trademarked non-stick coatings), Halon);
Resolution: within 48 hours;
Comments: Polymer fume fever occurs when PTFE is heated above 300o
C.
When PTFE is heated above 450o, the pyrolysis products are different and may cause acute
lung injury if controls to enclose the fume have not been installed.
http://www.haz-map.com/inhalati.htm
PTFE is the name of the product we are discussing. It is used in the
manufacture of (a product name I can no longer use due to it's
trademark), Silverstone, T-Fal and other "non-stick" pots and pans.
It seems as though, under normal conditions, these products are perfectly safe. It is when
a pot or pan coated with these materials are left on the stove for a period of time where
they are heated to over 400 degrees C. and left to dry that the life threatening problem
occurs. When this happens particles are released into the air and become deadly to birds
and in some cases possibly humans and other household pets.
There is a KNOWN and demonstrated life threatening risk to your birds
when you are using (a product I can no longer use due to it's
trademark) coated pans in a dry and overheated state. If you use cooking
utensils coated with this material you RISK loosing your birds. YOU even RISK becoming
sick if you burn your pans.
Here are some conclusions that I have drawn from the research: I mainly
used he links provided for the basis of my opinions stated below.
Jesus Vaca, a writer/researcher on this subject says, "
(a product name I can no longer use due to it's trademark)
itself is not dangerous, but its fumes are. It seems that pet birds can die from
exposure to (a product name I can no longer use due to it's
trademark) fumes" http://crystal.biol.csufresno.edu:8080/projects/94.html
He goes on to explain, "... cooking pans coated with (a
product name I can no longer use due to it's trademark) must be empty and heated
to temperatures beyond the normal cooking range (about 400 degrees C). At this
temperature, (a product name I can no longer use due to it's
trademark) particles become airborne and can cause a type of poisoning known as
POLYMER FUME FEVER. In fact this type of poisoning is very hard to diagnose, and is hardly
ever attributed to (a product name I can no longer use due to it's
trademark)..."
Don't walk away from your PTFE coated ((a
product name I can no longer use due to it's trademark), Silverstone, T-Fal, and
others) cookware while cooking. If you are cooking with coated cookware please devise
a plan of reminding yourself when they are on the stove. Set a timer that goes off every
10 minutes or so to REMIND yourself that your (a product
name I can no longer use due to it's trademark) pans are on the stove or have
some other FAITHFUL reminder that your cookware are on the stove and your
household is AT RISK. When you are finished cooking REMOVE the cookware
or utensils from the stove surface just in case you forget to turn the burner off. When
the pot or pan dries out and reaches temperatures above normal cooking temps,
(a product name I can no longer use due to it's trademark)
particles become airborne and can cause poisoning to not only your birds but to YOU
and your family as well.
As some have experienced this tragedy personally, once the particles are
released in the air and you figure out what's happening, IT'S TOO LATE!!!!! The
fact is that (a product name I can no longer use due to it's
trademark) (PTFE) has been acclaimed as "one of the most useful materials
know to man" by the scientific and commercial communities. Guess what? They aren't
about to do ANY negative PR on a product like that in our lifetime. It's going to be
UP TO YOU to protect your birds and your family. DO SOMETHING NOW. Change your
habits NOW!
Another thing to remember is that if you have nicked your non-stick
surfaces you may be MORE apt to release particles even at lower temperatures than if you
have pristine coated cookware, AND if you overheat your cookware your non-stick cookware
WON'T anymore.
Additional References
