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Adverse Effects
Lung
Polymer Fume Fever
Thermal Decomposition Products
NTIS Reports
ACTIVITY: US
EPA Pesticide List 3 Inert.
Teflon
is used in pesticides as an Inert. According to a US
EPA Final Rule of April 28, 2004:
Montmorillonite-type clay treated with polytetrafluoroethylene.
Carrier. PTFE content not greater than 0.5% of clay (w/w). To
be used in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops or
to raw agricultural commodities after harvest.
Also, component used in plastic slow release tag.
Structure:
Adverse
Effects:
Birds
Blood
Body Weight
Brain
Chemical Weapons
Cholinesterase
activity
Liver
Urinary fluoride level
Due
to length, the following are presented separately:
Lung
Polymer
Fume Fever
Thermal
Decomposition Products of Teflon
Note:
Two of the thermal decomposition products of Teflon:
• Perfluoroisobutene)
is approximately ten times as
toxic as phosgene.
and is
included in Schedule
2 of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
• Oxygen difluoride (many synonyms; it's primary name
is Fluorine monoxide). In the NIOSH category of Immediately
Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations - a list
of 387 workplace chemicals - the two chemicals that share
the rank of most dangerous chemicals
for "respirator selection criteria" are Oxygen
difluoride and Lithium hydride. |
Regulatory
Information
(only comprehensive for the US) |
US
EPA Registered: |
Yes
List 3 Inert |
Other
Information |
Molecular
Formulas: |
(C2-F4)mult-
(C2-F4)x-
|
Other
Names: |
PTFE
--
see several other names in box at bottom |
Of
Special Interest |
Reports
from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) |
The
Environmental Working Group is actively involved in the controversial
issue of Teflon and perfluorinated chemicals. See http://www.ewg.org/issues/PFCs/index.php
|
Class
Action Suit against DuPont for contaminating drinking water
in Ohio and West Virginia with Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate,
a chemical used to make Teflon prouducts at DuPont's Washington
Works facility in Woods County, West Virginia. |
Newspaper
articles and Documents related to DuPont's Washington Works
facility in Wood County, West Virginia, where perfluorinated
chemicals to make Teflon are produced. |
FAN's
Index Page to PFOA and PFOS perfluorinated chemicals used
to make Teflon. |
Abstracts
on PFOA and PFOS - perfluorinated chemicals used to make Teflon. |
US
EPA List of Inerts. This
substance is on List
3.
Note:
US EPA allows so-called "Inert" ingredients to be commonly
mixed with the "active" pesticidal ingredient
to create a formulated pesticide product. According
to EPA, "The term `inert' is not intended to imply
nontoxicity; the ingredient may or may not be chemically
active." "Inert" ingredients include solvents,
emulsifiers, spreaders, and other substances mixed into
pesticide products to increase the effectiveness of the
active ingredients, make the product easier to apply, or
to allow several active ingredients to mix in one solution.
Both US EPA and California Department of Pesticide Regulation
require pesticide manufacturers to identify inert ingredients
in their products but do not disclose this information to
the general public because the pesticide industry considers
product formulations trade secrets, protected by law and
by the US EPA. The US EPA category of Inerts (as of September
2003):
List 1 - Of Toxicological
Concern
List 2 - Potentially
Toxic / High Priority for Testing
List
3 - Of Unknown Toxicity
List 4A - Generally Regarded as Safe
List 4B - EPA states it has Sufficient Information to Reasonably
Conclude that the Current Use Pattern in Pesticide Products
will not Adversely Affect Public Health or the Environment
List 4 (all)
See
good report: Toxic
Secrets": "Inert" Ingredients in Pesticides
1987-1997, published by Northwest
Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides.
|
Synonyms:
From ChemIDplus at Toxnet |
Name of Substance
Fluoro-gold
PTFE
Polytef [USAN]
Polytetrafluoroethylene
Teflon
Tetrafluoroethene homopolymer
Synonyms
AMIP 15M
Aflon
Algloflon
Algoflon SV
Algoflon, Fluon, Teflon, Tetran)
Alkathene rxdg33
BDH 29-801
Balfon 7000
Chromosorb T
DLX-6000
Dixon 164
Duroid 5870
EK 1108GY-A
Ethene, tetrafluoro-, homopolymer
Ethicon PtFe
Ethylene, tetrafluoro-, polymers
F 103
F 4K20
F 4MB
F 4Zh20
FBF 74D
FN 3
FT-4
Fluo-Kem
Fluon
Fluon CD 023
Fluon CD 042
Fluon CD 1
Fluon G163
Fluon G201
Fluon G4
Fluon GPI
Fluon L 169
Fluon L 169B
Fluon L 170
Fluon L 171
Fluoroflex
|
Gore-tex
Fluorolon 4
Fluoropak 80
Fluoroplast 4
Fluoroplast 4B
Fluoroplast 4D
Fluoroplast 4M
Fluoropore FP 120
Ftorlon 4
Ftorlon 4M
Ftorlon F-4MB
Ftoroplast 4
Ftoroplast 4B
Ftoroplast 4D
Ftoroplast 4K20
Ftoroplast 4M
Ftoroplast F 4MB
Ftoroplast F-4
Ftoroplast FBF 74D
Hostaflon TF 2053
G 163
HSDB 833
Halon G 183
Halon G 700
Halon G 80
Halon TFEG 180
Heydeflon
Hostaflon TF
Hostaflon TF 2026
L 169
Molykote 522
PTFE
PTFE GM3
Perfluoroethylene polymer
Polifen
Politef
Politefo [INN-Spanish]
Politefum [INN-Latin]
Poly(ethylene tetrafluoride)
Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)
Polyfene Polyflon
Polyflon D1
Polyflon EK 1108GY-A
Polyflon EK 4108GY
Polyflon F 103
|
Polyflon M12
Polyflon M12A
Polyflon M21
Polytef
Polytetrafluoroethene
Polytetrafluoroethylene resin
Proplast
Soreflon 5A
Soreflon 604
T 5B
T 8A
TE 30
TL 102
TL-R
TL-V
Tarflen
Teflon
Teflon 110
Teflon 30
Teflon 5
Teflon 6
Teflon 6C
Teflon K
Teflon T 30
Teflon T 6
Teflon T5
Teflon TFE
Tetrafluoroethene homopolymer
Tetrafluoroethene polymer
Tetrafluoroethylene homopolymer
Tetrafluoroethylene polymer
Tetrafluoroethylene polymers
Tetran 30
Tetran PtFe
Unon P
Valflon
Velflon
Zitex H 662-124
Zitex K 223-122
Systematic Name
Ethene, tetrafluoro-, homopolymer
Ethylene, tetrafluoro-, polymer
Fluorogold
Tetrafluoroethene homopolymer (9CI) |
|