potoooooooo ✅️Nov 7

She's out of town and I'm cleaning her entire collection as a surprise

https://lemmy.world/post/38439364

Show threadbrokenwingNov 7
Please someone explain!
Show threadunclejeevesNov 7
Cast iron is “seasoned” to make it nonstick. That means many layers of oil build up as a sort of polymer. The point is to keep it “dirty” in this way. Cleaning it down to bare metal means she’d be forced to re-season it, which can take considerable time/effort depending on frequency of use.
Show threaddaggermoonNov 7
Isn’t the “seasoning” PFAS?
Show threadFishFaceNov 7
No, and nor is the teflon in the pans you’re thinking if. PFAS is a chemical used in the manufacture of Teflon (or was, I thought they’d stopped now) not teflon itself.
The problem with PFAS is accidental release and dumping.
Show threadTonava

PFAS is a chemical

PFAS is the term for the whole group of the stuffs called “forever chemicals” (for a reason). There’s not just a single one, but multiple, and as the specific ones and groups get banned, the industries move to use different ones, basically. It’s important to buy “PFAS free” stuff, any other labels like “PFOA free” can still mean there’s PFASs there, there’s just not ones from the specific variation

PFAS - Wikipedia

Nov 7 at 1:37pmWeb
Show threadFishFaceNov 7

Damn, you’re right, I was thinking of PFOA not PFAS.

However, I think blanket avoiding an entire class of chemicals without evidence is an overreaction.

Show threadzalgotextNov 7
But we do have evidence that a lot of chemicals in the PFAS family stick around for a long time, and we have evidence that they’re harmful. That’s enough for me to be wary of anything in that group, especially when there are easy alternatives.
Show threadLeonNov 7
There is evidence, and there’s been conspiracies around it.
Show threadTonavaNov 7
I think in the case of PFAS it’s very reasonable. There’s no real harm done in avoiding them except possibly making less money and having to figure out other ways to do certain things - which cannot even be compared to the the potential danger they pose to the whole ecosphere
Show threadFishFaceNov 7
That kind of thinking applies to any chemical though, surely
Show threadTonavaNov 7
Only if they are persistent organic pollutants as well
Show threadFishFaceNov 7
Well if we have evidence of that sure, but in the case of PTFE for example (which is a PFAS) we don’t have that, so banning it seems just as nonsensical. Yos be banning it because it might be harmful.
Show threadTonavaNov 8
But the thing is, if it turns out to be harmful, it’s too late if we have used it - we can’t get it out of nature anymore. Which is a fucking big risk to take considering the effects research has already proven with the other PFAS. That’s kinda the whole problem with persistent organic pollutants
Show threadBuddahrifficNov 7
How is it an overreaction if it can be done without losing anything in life? I retired all my pans with non-stick coating years ago and haven’t missed them a single time and appreciate that it makes it easier to minimize the number of plastic cooking utensils my kitchen has, too.
Show threadFishFaceNov 7
  • there is nothing as non-stick as non-stick coatings; some alternatives come close, but you are still losing something
  • what about other applications of PTFE? PTFE tape for sealing pipes, PTFE feet on computer mice, PTFE-based lubricant, electrical insulation, … the uses are many.
    • Show threadBuddahrifficNov 7

    Yeah but if I use stainless steel pans, I can use stainless steel wool to clean them, so the sticking doesn’t really matter aa much when it does happen, plus cooking techniques can reduce or eliminate sticking even on stainless steel. So I’ll adjust to say I’m not losing anything I value.

    And I don’t have a huge issue with it being used on things that doesn’t touch our skin or food/water often. And my goal is to minimize exposure in this plastic world. I understand that at least some restaurants (if not most that use pans) probably use nonstick pans and that I’m getting exposed to BPA every time I touch a receipt. So I don’t use those pans at home and don’t let receipts linger in my hands and use gloves when going through a bunch of them.

    Show threadFishFaceNov 7
    Cool, I’m not gonna tell you you must use teflon pans, but I think we were talking about bans…
    Show threadBuddahrifficNov 7
    Looking back at the thread, bans were mentioned, but the context that I was following looked like it was about wanting to go beyond what’s banned because the industry just rotates in variations of the chemicals whenever specific ones are banned.