Teflon flu can kill your parrot

[MKparrot]

Today Grumpy PM-ed me on Teflon flu danger. I have investigated a little and was shocked from what I found. I suppose this question was raised / alerted before on the Forum, but I think it may be appropriate to reveal it again for those that are not aware of Teflon danger (i.e. parrot owners like me ). So, all the credits for this info / thread goes to Grupmy.

Polymer fume fever or Fluoropolymer fever, also informally called Teflon flu, is an inhalation fever caused by the fumes released when Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, known under the trade name Teflon or T-Fall or else)) is heated to between 300 °C and 450 °C. When PTFE is heated above 450 °C the pyrolysis products are different and inhalation may cause acute lung injury. Symptoms are flu-like (chills, headaches and fevers) with chest tightness and mild cough. Onset occurs about 4 to 8 hours after exposure to the pyrolysis products of PTFE.

The polymer fumes are especially harmful to certain birds whose breathing, optimized for rapidity, allows toxins which are excluded by human lungs. Fumes from Teflon in very high heat are fatal to parrots, as well as some other birds.

If your bird is exposed to the toxic PTFE or PFOA fumes emitted by certain non-stick coatings like Teflon, it is likely to die an excruciating death as it suffocates in the fluids its lungs rapidly produce to protect themselves. The vast majority of birds die from acute edematous pneumonia before they reach the vet. Those with minor exposure that manage to survive suffer with lifelong health repercussions from the event.

[Dave007]

Today Grumpy PM-ed me on Teflon flu danger. I have investigated a little and was shocked from what I found. I suppose this question was raised / alerted before on the Forum, but I think it may be appropriate to reveal it again for those that are not aware of Teflon danger (i.e. parrot owners like me ). So, all the credits for this info / thread goes to Grupmy.

Polymer fume fever or Fluoropolymer fever, also informally called Teflon flu, is an inhalation fever caused by the fumes released when Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, known under the trade name Teflon or T-Fall or else)) is heated to between 300 °C and 450 °C. When PTFE is heated above 450 °C the pyrolysis products are different and inhalation may cause acute lung injury. Symptoms are flu-like (chills, headaches and fevers) with chest tightness and mild cough. Onset occurs about 4 to 8 hours after exposure to the pyrolysis products of PTFE.

The polymer fumes are especially harmful to certain birds whose breathing, optimized for rapidity, allows toxins which are excluded by human lungs. Fumes from Teflon in very high heat are fatal to parrots, as well as some other birds.

If your bird is exposed to the toxic PTFE or PFOA fumes emitted by certain non-stick coatings like Teflon, it is likely to die an excruciating death as it suffocates in the fluids its lungs rapidly produce to protect themselves. The vast majority of birds die from acute edematous pneumonia before they reach the vet. Those with minor exposure that manage to survive suffer with lifelong health repercussions from the event.

 

Sticky

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?32353-Teflon-coated-Cookware

Edited December 2, 2013 by Dave007

[MKparrot]

...yes, I see that it was raised back in 2007... I simply over-viewed that there is already a thread on this question... hope it hasn't substantially violated forum rules...

[JeffNOK]

MK you are fine. Any useful information is helpful. We all can use reminders from time to time,

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

MKparrot... No rules to violate! A simple reminder, is always great! Nancy

[Talon]

Always good to have a reminder for those newbies that haven't read all the great info we have in the Health Room. I wish ALL new members would venture to that room and read all the Stickies...always better to be informed as much as possible when you have parrots.

[Muse]

And don't forget that the "gospel" about the temperatures at which Teflon (or any object containing PTFE or PFOA) off-gasses has been repeatedly proven wrong. There are way too many reports of birds dying from exposure to cookware heated to much lower temperatures. It's never worth a chance. We were actually told that we could "just always cook on low heat" and it would be fine. Bad advice. I did some research and the end result was ditching several hundred dollars worth of Calphalon. It wasn't worth the risk, in my opinion. We switch the the "Ceramica"-coated Green Gourmet line from Cuisinart (parent corp Conair), who were nice enough to email me assuring me it was safe for my birds. We have had no problems with it at all. And where we stayed for over a year the kitchen opened up into the living room, where the birds were.

 

I can remember around Thanksgiving one year, I was cooking some cranberry sauce as well as studying for finals. Well, I got so wrapped up in studying that I forgot the sauce until I smelled smoke! (Proof that studying makes you go brain-dead!) The sauce was a carbonized mess in the bottom of the pan. And the only thought going through my mind was "Thank you, God, that this didn't happen in one of my old Calphalon pans!" Surprisingly, it came completely clean. Which surprised me. We have had the pans for over two years now, and I love them.

 

We were at Wal-mart today, and noticed that everybody including Mainstays (Wal-mart house brand) is jumping on the "No PTFE, No PFOA" ceramic cookware bandwagon. Which is better for all of us. Who knows what kind of vile things we've been getting in our non-stick cookware made food over all these years?