Thermolon

• There has been a long-held concern over the safety of PTFE and PFOA both to people and the environment. PFOA is used as a catalyst during the application process of PTFE.
• These chemicals are mainly used in the manufacture of non-stick products - particularly cookware.
• It has slowly become obvious that they present a threat to the current and future generations of life on this planet.

Over recent decades PFOA has evolved from a research chemical to a pollutant on a global level. PFOA has been found in wildlife from Italy, the US, Japan, Russia, Belgium, and Canada, and in places as remote as the Sand Island Wildlife Refuge in Midway Atoll.
Scientists have detected PFOA in egg yolks of the double crested cormorant from Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba Canada; in the blood of Russian Caspian seals; and in a short-snouted spinner dolphin off the coast of Florida – it has even been found in the blood of Arctic polar bears.

And humans are not exempt; PFOA was first tentatively identified in human blood as early as 1976. In studies conducted in the past 7 years, industry scientists have detected PFOA in the vast majority of samples tested from nearly 3000 people in the US, including blood samples from 598 children, 238 elderly people, and some 2000 blood donors. It is estimated that PFOA is present in the blood of 95% of Americans. Of every 20 children tested, 19 have been found with PFOA in their blood. It has also been found in the placental blood of unborn babies.

So, what does it do? Here is a quote from Environmental Health News of 29th May 2007.
"The very persistent PFOAs can contribute to thyroid problems, immune changes and cancer (testicular, liver and pancreatic) in laboratory animals. People exposed to PFOA at work may be at higher risk for pancreas, testis and prostate cancers."

The Scientific Advisory Board to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has just classified PFOA as a ‘likely human carcinogen’. In January of 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated the PFOA Stewardship Program, in which eight major manufacturers voluntarily agreed to the complete withdrawal of this chemical by 2015.
But what about the next 7 years? How can we reduce the threat from this chemical?

Safe alternatives to PTFE must be found - and here a breakthrough has been made.
A new PTFE-free non-stick coating has been developed. Called ‘Thermolon’, it is a mineral coating derived from silica (sand) that contains no toxins and has been tested and certified to be 100% safe. It is also environmentally friendly, saving 60% of the energy used to apply PTFE.
The public like non-stick coatings, they have potential health and environmental benefits – less oil/fat used in cooking and big energy savings because of ease of cleaning. Thermolon offers these benefits without the risks associated with PTFE.