Teflon’s non-stick surface is the reason many people buy it. Yet, it is hazardous to our health.  Not just from the chipping and flaking but from the fumes.  When non-stick pans are heated to high temperatures, the coating breaks down and vaporizes, releasing toxic substances into the air.  Perfluorinated acid (PFOA) is used in the manufacture of non-stick pans.  It is not present in the pans themselves, but can reappear in the fumes when pans are overheated and the coating decomposes. It has been shown in many studies that PFOA accumulates in the body and in the environment.  Studies on animals suggest a link to birth defects. According to the National Resource Defense Counsel, Dupont, the maker of Teflon, admits the fumes contain PFOA but claims that temperatures must exceed 500 degrees Fahrenheit for ‘deterioration to occur’ and 660 degrees for ‘significant decomposition’…Non-stick pans do get that hot when preheated on high – a practice many cooks follow.  It doesn’t take much time either for temperatures to climb.  In tests conducted on ordinary gas and electric stoves, Teflon and other non-stick pans topped 700 degrees Fahrenheit in three to five minutes. 

Teflon coating can be convenient and safe when used to cook on low – moderate heats such as with non-stick griddles.  Care does have to be extended that high heats are avoided.