"epa" news and stories

Last week the Teamsters and the United Food and Commercial Workers called for the U.S. government to act to protect workers from exposure to a flavoring agent that has been linked to lung disease. Diacetyl is used as a flavoring in microwave popcorn. Hence the name of the debilitating disease that has left some former food factory workers seeking lung transplants.

A group of doctors joined the two unions in their petition to the U.S. Department of Labor to issue an emergency order to reduce factory exposure to diacetyl. The groups are calling for an emergency order from OSHA since it could take years to develop a standard for exposure.

Later this year the EPA plans to publish a study on whether microwaving popcorn at home releases the chemical. The agency says the study is not designed to measure health risks, but rather whether diacetyl and other chemicals are released.

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Like so many other people, I've been using my nonstick frying pans for many years now, in addition to my other pots and pans. With cancer concerns relating to the toxic perfluorochemicals coming to light, it's time for some new cookware. After all, the EPA is only "phasing out" these chemicals to avoid shutting down very large portions of very large companies. PFOA has been shown to cause cancer and, like mercury and lead, build up in the body over time, so there is no reason to continue our exposure to it. 

A chemical in Teflon and other cookware serves up more than just food. The US Environmental Protection Agency announced that they have asked the 8 largest manufacturers that use chemicals known as perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, to reduce production by 95 per cent by 2010 and to stop using it completely by 2015 because they have been shown to cause cancer and reproductive problems. They are classifying the chemicals in the same way that they classify mercury and lead - as a poison that remains in the body forever - but it is disturbing to note that these are found in almost every American. It is possible that it is present in far more people around the world, but some countries do not monitor the presence of perfluorochemicals (PFCs). The chemicals are used in nonstick cookware, water and grease resistant products and packaging, microwave popcorn bags, in addition to non-food related items, such as textiles and carpeting.

Companies such as Dupont, which has been involved in lawsuits before regarding their use of the PFOA known as C8, have up until this time stood by a claim that their perfluorochemicals are nonhazardous, despite evidence that they knew it was harmful. Dupont and others are now publicly pledging their support to eliminate the use of potentially hazardous chemicals in their products.

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