Polymer fume fever probably detected
I have a mildly scratched teflon pot and recently contemplated about throwing it to the bin but online pages suggested that it's fine as it is a recently bought one (less than 4 months ago in an EU country).
Yet when I heated the empty pot at 6th level of my electric stove I smelled a strange odor close to that of a burning plastic. Consulting the internet, stoves can heat up to 220 Celsius degrees and polymer fumes are released at 300 degrees. Can it be that the phenomenon starts appearing early when the pot is empty?
Best Answer
Electric stove elements can reach 800C if left on high with nothing on top. While an empty pan won't quite reach that maximum (which is also bad for your stove), they can certainly get well over 400C.
As such, if you heated an empty nonstick pan for a while and smelled it burning, the nonstick coating may be ruined. That's easily tested; fry an egg in it.
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What is polymer fume fever?
Polymer fume fever is a relatively rare disease, caused by inhalation of products of thermal degradation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Clinical manifestations are typically characterised by constitutional symptoms such as fever, shivering, sore throat and weakness.What are the symptoms of Teflon poisoning?
Inhaling these fumes may lead to polymer fume fever, also known as the Teflon flu. Polymer fume fever consists of temporary, flu-like symptoms such as chills, fever, headache, and body aches. The onset occurs after 4\u201310 hours of exposure, and the condition usually resolves within 12\u201348 hours ( 14 , 15 ).What happens in Teflon flu?
Polymer fume fever or fluoropolymer fever, also informally called Teflon flu, is an inhalation fever caused by the fumes released when polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, known under the trade name Teflon) reaches temperatures of 300 \xb0C (572 \xb0F) to 450 \xb0C (842 \xb0F).How is Teflon flu treated?
Treatment: The primary treatment for both metal fume fever and polymer fume fever is supportive and directed at symptom relief. Oral hydration, rest, and the use of antipyretics and anti-inflammatory medications (e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin) are recommended.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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