Chemical in Teflon Products Linked to Higher Risk of Allergies

By Jennifer Griffith

Published on June 25, 2007

In a study conducted at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in West Virginia, lab mice that were exposed allergens, following PFOA exposure, experienced increased airway restriction and a greater immune system response, producing a larger number of antibodies, as compared to mice that were exposed to allergens alone.

Other studies have already suggested that PFOAs are likely to be carcinogenic to people.

Since 1960, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Teflon for use in cookware, PFOA has become a widespread contaminant, with at least small levels found in most people, including 100 percent of newborn infants.

A spokesperson for DuPont, the maker of Teflon products, stated that POFA is unlikely to cause allergies. DuPont has never conducted studies on the relation between allergic reactions and PFOA.

The results of the Virginia study were published in Toxicological Sciences and suggested a possible reason for the rising occurrence of asthma in children.

Comment on this article →