Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Hello! This is the story of how Polytetrafluoroethylene, brand name Teflon, has poisoned almost the entire world with Perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA, which is cancer-causing. The amount of PFOA in the average person isn't necessarily harmful, but nevertheless PFOA can be found in dolphins in Florida, the rain in Tibet, household dust, and food and water. It's basically everywhere. Yay.

Patreon: patreon.com/GeorgRockallSchmidt
Twitter: twitter.com/grockallschmidt

Sources:
EPA Advisory Landing Page
epa.gov/sdwa/drinking-water-health-advisories-genx-chemicals-and-pfbs

EPA proposes regulation
wbur.org/news/2023/03/14/toxic-chemicals-water-epa-pfas-regulations-pfoa-pfna-pfhxs-pfbs-genx

Federal Register EPA Plan summary
federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/29/2023-05471/pfas-national-primary-drinking-water-regulation-rulemaking

NC EPA GENX
wral.com/story/epa-sets-stricter-standards-for-genx-other-forever-chemicals-in-nc-drinking-water/20332202

EPA GenX Toxicity Report
epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-03/GenX-Toxicity-Assessment-factsheet-March-2023-update.pdf

PFAS EPA Roadmap
epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024

PFOA In rain worldwide
cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/PFOA-rain-worldwide-exceeds-EPA/100/i27

PFOA PFOS in China
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19775722

EWG- PFC
ewg.org/research/pfcs-global-contaminants

CDC PFOA Fact Sheet
cdc.gov/biomonitoring/PFOA_FactSheet.html

American Cancer Society – PFOA
cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/teflon-and-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa.html

3M Taves 1975 Document
documentcloud.org/documents/21193237-mn-3m-guys-paper

1977 Fluoride In Blood Timeline
documentcloud.org/documents/4570511-MN-3M-1977-Fluorine-in-Blood-Timeline.html

3M Knew About Dangers – The Intercept
theintercept.com/2018/07/31/3m-pfas-minnesota-pfoa-pfos

Teflon's Toxic Legacy – EcoWatch
ecowatch.com/teflons-toxic-legacy-dupont-knew-for-decades-it-was-contaminating-wate-1882142514.html

C8 Suspected In Birth Defects – Delaware Online
delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/04/02/c8-suspected-birth-defects-one-womans-story/81473242

Roanoke River Contamination
roanoke.com/news/local/source-of-forever-chemical-in-the-roanoke-river-traced-to-elliston-plant/article_e7953262-613e-11ed-baad-bb83787f5da8.html

NCBI – Forever Chemicals in Blood Stats
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2072821
Agency for Toxic Substances And Disease Registry – PFAS Study
atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/health-effects/us-population.html

Rob Bilott – NYT Magazine
nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html