Assessment of the migration of perfluorinated compounds and primary aromatic amines from PTFE-coated non-stick cookware marketed in Turkey.

Two perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and 17 different primary aromatic amines (PAAs) were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in migrants from 35 cookware samples marketed in Turkey. Among PFCs, only PFOA was identified in 6 samples. Only two components among PAAs, namely aniline (ANL) and 4,4'-methylenedianiline (4,4'-MDA), were detected in analyzed samples. Although aniline was detected in all samples, 4,4'-MDA was detected in only 4 samples. The effects of simulant volume, temperature, and repeated use on the release of these migrants from non-stick cookware were investigated. Three simulant volumes (200, 500, and 1000 mL) were used in migration tests. PFCs and PAAs were identified in simulants at 200 and 500 mL. The increase in the amount of simulant caused a decrease in the concentration of these migrants. The lowest migration values were observed in the samples at consecutive usage cycles. PFCs and PAAs exhibited the highest migration ability with increasing temperature.

PTFE-coated non-stick cookware and toxicity concerns: a perspective.

PTFE is used as an inner coating material in non-stick cookware. This unique polymer coating prevents food from sticking in the pans during the cooking process. Such cookware is also easy to wash. At normal cooking temperatures, PTFE-coated cookware releases various gases and chemicals that present mild to severe toxicity. Only few studies describe the toxicity of PTFE but without solid conclusions. The toxicity and fate of ingested PTFE coatings are also not understood. Moreover, the emerging, persistent, and well-known toxic environmental pollutant PFOA is also used in the synthesis of PTFA. There are some reports where PFOA was detected in the gas phase released from the cooking utensils under normal cooking temperatures. Due to toxicity concerns, PFOA has been replaced with other chemicals such as GenX, but these new alternatives are also suspected to have similar toxicity. Therefore, more extensive and systematic research efforts are required to respond the prevailing dogma about human exposure and toxic effects to PTFE, PFOA, and GenX and other alternatives.