DuPont warns of hazards
DuPont warns about the hazards of polymer fume fever on its Web site.
"Low or medium heat is recommended for cookware with DuPont non-stick surfaces," the warning says. Temperatures that will break down the coatings "can be reached if an empty pan is left on a hot burner or in the oven," it says.
DuPont recommends against using Teflon cookware under broilers, and has rejected proposals to use it in such high-heat kitchen applications as drip pans for electric stovetops.
When it licenses Teflon to cookware makers, DuPont requires that the companies meet certain standards in manufacturing and use of the product that will be coated with Teflon. It mandates that temperatures on nonstick appliances, such as woks, not exceed 550 degrees Fahrenheit, for instance, but does not require that cookware makers attach warning labels to products coated with Teflon.
DuPont does warn against keeping pet birds near Teflon cookware in use, regardless of what heat is used.
Birds are especially vulnerable to fumes from heated Teflon because their respiratory systems are highly sensitive, according to Dr. Roger Wells, a senior veterinary pathologist at the University of New Hampshire. Fumes from the heated Teflon quickly kill the cells lining the birds' airways, so they can't get oxygen. They suffocate.