• SW42@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Teflon is just the brand name. I believe it’s called Polytetrafluorethylene, thus ending in ne :)

      • Tja
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        6 months ago

        Teflon itself is quite good, getting it to stick to places is the problem.

        • Shareni
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          6 months ago

          Quite good, if you avoid the fact it’s literally everywhere including the atmosphere, doesn’t break down, and causes cancer. But who cares about such little things like cancer causing rain…

          • Mr Fish@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            Again, that’s from getting it to stick to things. The smaller PTFE chemicals that make it possible to suspend Teflon in water are the problem.

            • Rooskie91@discuss.online
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              6 months ago

              Teflon is the brand name for for the chemical Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Making PTFE requires PFAS, which are the toxic part. Think of PFAS as little bits of chain varying lengths that get strung together to make the larger PTFE molecule.

              The argument you’re making sounds similar to something like “Fossil Fuels are safe, it’s just the CO2 that’s dangerous.” PFAS contaminated water being released to the environment is an unavoidable by produce of making Teflon. You can only make Teflon as a solid without suspending the PFAS in water first.

              Here’s a pretty good video about the history, manufacturing process, and toxicity.

              https://youtu.be/SC2eSujzrUY

              • Rednax@lemmy.world
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                6 months ago

                There is one important note: you won’t get cancer from the Teflon in your pans. You get it from the PFAS used to produce the pans. This means you don’t have to throw out all your pans, as if they were made from lead and asbestos. Just make sure not to buy new ones with Teflon.

              • ExFed
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                6 months ago

                The argument you’re making sounds similar to something like “Fossil Fuels are safe, it’s just the CO2 that’s dangerous.”

                I didn’t read it that way at all. Their argument sounds more like “there’s nuance that you’re glossing over.”

                It seems that we all agree PFAS are generally nasty chemicals, some worse than others. Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) is just one of the “nicer” ones.

                • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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                  6 months ago

                  You can’t make teflon without the PFAS though. It’s like saying AIDS is completely different than HIV

          • Zerush@lemmy.ml
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            6 months ago

            Teflon itself is inert, but it’s also not needed to avoid that food sticks in a pan. In a good prepared Steel pan food sticks less than in a Teflon pan and is way more resistant to damages. The food sticks in the pan, if you don’t wait to add the food until it’s heated enough, not for other reasons, mistake often don by normal users. Professional cooks never use Teflon pans.

            Preparing a Steel pan non-stick

            • Clean the pan after buy it
            • Heat the pan on the kitchen
            • Add some oil and heat somewhat more until it smoke
            • After this, wait until i’s cold enough and distribute and eliminate the oil film over the whole surface with an kitchen paper.
            • Done

            After this, to fry something, add a little oil and wait until the oil has enough heat (test with the handle of a wood spoon, if it forms little bubbles on it in the oil, the temperature is OK), to add the food. It will never stick this way.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXEt-fhyCis

            • Shareni
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              6 months ago

              Teflon itself is inert

              About that

              our findings suggest that PTFE-MPs-associated toxicity may be specifically linked to the activation of the ERK pathway, which ultimately induces oxidative stress and inflammation.

              https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37419366/

              Steel/iron > teflon for sure though.

          • Tja
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            6 months ago

            Teflon doesn’t cause cancer.

        • ryedaft@sh.itjust.works
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          6 months ago

          In Denmark there was until very recently a factory doing something with teflon. That shit got launched out the chimney and just rained down everywhere.

      • BreadOven@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Yeah, that’s why I chose it haha.

        Edit: I was just being salty in my original comment due to the meme being to vague and me being a chemist.

        I’m not from the states but actually got to visit the DuPont plant that did nylon and Lycra. Also saw the river that once changed colour or something due to waste chemicals? I can’t remember the story.

        Regardless, I in no way support DuPont or any other company that is responsible for such damages as they have caused.

      • Ignotum@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        You’re just not trying hard enough, it took me a while but i managed to jam it in there (very little room in my veins because of all the microplastics)

      • MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml
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        6 months ago

        Except that they used the chemicals that do find their way into everyone’s blood to make nylon. So it tangentially fits the meme.