this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Did you at some point read about how some of them, such as the ones used in frying pans, are unlikely to cause problems in the human body, and then completely stopped looking into it further?

It's a massive group of compounds, some of which currently look to be quite safe, but a significant number of which also have fully verified dangers (especially some compounds required for production).

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yes, I read about it and the teflon on frying pan is explicitely NOT the problem. I understand that pointing to frying pans and saying "PTFE !!" is the attention grabbing thing to do. But there is no danger here.

The problem is the manufacturing plants leaking PFOA/PFAS into their surrounding environment !

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Maybe lead with that, instead of the conspiracy angle.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

That's been well known for over 50 years, why do you think now, all of a sudden, this is becoming an issue now ? This is because there are new coatings, silicon based PTFE-free coatings and PTFE-based metamaterial that combine titanium, ceramic and/or PCD.

As the manufacturer invest in this new technology, they either restrict PTFE commodity manufacturers out of their market or merely stop funding lobbying that protects the PTFE.

This is not a conspiracy theory, simple emergent interests that do not require a coordination.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Cool.

But the reason you're being downvoted, is that instead of commenting this, you made a comment that sounded like you were dismissing the dangers of PFAS, and dismissing it as the modern-day equivalent to lead, asbestos, and the like.

Which is what it is, and you clearly agree that it is.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The difference with leaded gasoline and asbestos, is that everyone everywhere was being exposed to those.

And the current trajectory regarding PFAS is, a complete ban https://www.wcl.org.uk/transitioning-to-a-pfas-free-economy.asp

But they're not a problem everywhere, they're a problem of containment at the manufacturer.

This is what sloppy statements like plastics and teflon are tantamount to the widespread lead and mercury poisoning. That's just not the case but acting like it is, is exactly how industry initiate regulatory capture.

I see it the same as the big tech giants pushing hard FOR regulation, because ultimately the rules, written with their impetus will become their motes and we will all pay for it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

But they're not a problem everywhere, they're a problem of containment at the manufacturer.

So screw the local environment and the people that live there? If the manufacturer could capture and destroy pfoa's before release, why havent they done so? If they could and didnt, then they brought the ban unpon themselves.

This is like arguing "oh, but the oil spill was in a remote part of the ocean and would never effect my house, so keep on drilling baby!"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Or make sure they don't have spills again, doesn't seem that hard.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Right... like how hard is it not crash a ship into a bridge? Even good stewards have accidents. So if there something better and less destructive to the environment, it should be strongly prefered.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Abestos was used for millenias, and was known the miners a thousands years ago would succumb to a mysterious illness after working years in the mines... and it was just banned in the US in checks notes. Last year. Must've been big fiberglass behind it!