HELP! Possible lethal to our babies!!!

[emlee]

Sorry for the long post but our birds are in DANGER! It's been a while since I visited, but I need help, advise from the true experts here. We just purchased a new electric range, double oven convection. Brand LG, Model LDE3037ST. It was delivered last night. I thought now I would get new cookware as well. I know about the non stick PFOA toxins for birds, so I was researching other types of cookware on consumer research for the qualities i wanted. I came across some with ceramic, not really wanting ceramic I read the review anyway.

 

Now here starts the panic! It stated that the majority of ceramic cookware has some of these ( PFOA )non stick properties either coated on it or baked in it! Alarms are now going off big time. This led me on a massive search about PFOA. I got quite the education from at least 15-20 sources including EPA.

 

This is my panic, concern question. I found out its not only the cookware it used on a lot of things including open heart surgery which is safe. The comes when PFOA is heated then it becomes toxic. So I read warnings about toasters, coffee makers, toaster ovens, cappichino makers and yes stoves and ranges.

 

My new oven has the blue interior ceramic coating has any one seen these or own one? Im worried about the PFOA, is it coated on or baked in the ceramic? if coated on ill just remove the birds for a day and bake it off all day. if it baked in i cant use this range. I'm afraid to use my oven. I contacted LG by e mail, instant chat and left messages at corporate.

 

Does any one have one of these or know anything about this? I'm scared!

Thanks

Eileen

[judygram]

I don't know myself but maybe one of the members will know but you are smart to wait to use your new oven until you find out.

[emlee]

Thank You Judygram for your quick reply. It's just soothing to know people are listening. The oven never occurred to me!!

[judygram]

Well at least you thought of it before using it but I have asked a member to help if he can so be patient.

[Luvparrots]

Very smart to wait Eileen until you get some answers to your questions about your new oven/stove. There are stories out there about family birds dying when exposed to the fume of new ovens. I hope the answers come soon. Kudos for your patience and forethought.

[Dave007]

All types of cookware that have any type of bird-- harmful ingredients in them need to be heavily heated in order for those ingredients to be released. The most common is all types of dish/pot ware. Internal items such as stoves don't have the type of ingredients that you're referring to because those ingredients are also harmful to people. As far as cooking-- a bird should always be removed from areas where any type of cooking is going on. If you have a new oven, it probably came with an ehaust fan above the burners. Keep them on while you're cooking

 

in order to give you an idea about what I'm talking about, you mention a few itms in your post. Well, did you know that your hairdryer has teflon in it ? Ever hear about any birds that die from being blow drieded?

 

++++ So I read warnings about toasters, coffee makers, toaster ovens, cappichino makers++++

 

I really hope you didn't remove the items above.

[emlee]

I'm patiently waiting agin thanks so much just to talk helps. Dave I did hear about that that's awful. Your right I will too check everything. after last nights education it makes you wonder about what manufactures get away with.

FYI the PFOA or perfluorooctanoic acid gets placed on or in many surfaces not just cookware or kitchen appliances. The danger comes from when its heated it forms a particle that can no longer be broken down so it remains in that state. As you birds resp sys is different which is why they die almost immediately. Humans are exposed to PFOA all the time it is just within the past few years the EPA has got involved. Studies have shown it to cause cancer, blood pressure issues, strokes, nervous sys disorders and the list goes on. They did blood work on humans and house hold pets and found that every human tested showed PFOA in their system animal were at 52%. They state that mammals other than humans and of course birds can eliminate PFOA three times faster. Believe me humans are exposed.

 

You are correct though if its surface applied then I can burn it off but if its baked in then it's reoccurring every time it's used just like non stick cookware.

[danmcq]

Dave gave good thoughts and comments.

 

Ay time you purchase a new oven or home heating/cooling system, a proper "First burn in" is required to allow for off gassing of all the chemicals.

 

I had a similar problem in '92 when we first started cooking with the oven in our new GE gas stove. We had to quickly open up the house, run the exhaust fans, and evacuate. It was a sharp, pungent odor, not an odor typically produced by burning oil.

 

GE tech support was of little help -- I think they said the odor would go away after normal usage. I eventually found a researcher in PA who had measured very high levels of formaldehyde from a new oven, presumably from the binding in the insulation.

 

We ran the cleaning cycle several times when pets and people were not in the house. I think it took at least 3 or 4 tries to get the smoke and odor down to levels that were not noticeable during normal oven or broiler use.

 

Of course, we always use a range hood exhaust fan when we cook. Opening windows does not usually flush the house quickly enough during cooking, unless it is a very breezy day.

 

1. Look for stoves that use formaldehyde-free insulation. That has been on the market for a while, at least for building materials, so stove manufacturers should be able to use it too. I don't know yet which, if any, manufactures use formaldehyde-free insulation.

 

2. If all else fails, run the self-cleaning cycle and hood exhaust fan before using the oven for cooking. Do this while the house is evacuated. Also attach aluminum foil or another inflammable object to the bottom edges of the range hood to extend it down another foot or so. The hood extension or side shields will greatly improve the capture efficiency of the range hood and keep odors from spreading throughout the house.

 

3. Never enter the home when the self cleaning cycle is running, and not until the building has been flushed thoroughly afterward. Levels of indoor pollutants are extremely high during the self clean cycle

[emlee]

I want to thank you all for your advise. I think your right we are going to run the self clean cycle. Like you LG is of no use. I just wanted to know if its baked in the ceramic like some cookware or just a coating.

A stove never crossed my mind?

 

I'm so thankful to all of you for your quick kind advise!