TIME.com: Is Teflon Risky? -- Jun. 12, 2006 -- Page 1

TIME.com: Is Teflon Risky? -- Jun. 12, 2006 -- Page 1: "Is Teflon Risky?
Nonstick pots can emit nasty stuff if used incorrectly
By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK
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Posted Sunday, Jun 4, 2006
The amazingly slippery, heat-resistant plastic known as Teflon was discovered purely by accident by DuPont chemist Roy Plunkett in 1938. By 1950, the company was making a million pounds annually as a low-friction coating for bearings and gears. In 1960 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it for use in cookware. Today some 60% of all pots and pans in American kitchens are nonstick--to say nothing of muffin pans, cookie sheets, cake pans, deep fryers and waffle irons."