My story: I just had a new electric oven installed. Singers, Speakers, Actors, and Breathers - beware! Everything went smoothly until the delivery guy said he had to turn on the oven to check it, and told me to leave it on at 350 degrees for an hour for the 'burn-off' of the chemicals inside the oven. Yikes! I have two beautiful tropical birds, so I immediately closed the door to their room, and within just short 'New York Minute', my throat was hurting, my nose was in pain, and I was having difficulty breathing and I told they guy to turn it off immediately. He left, the stove looks beautiful, and I can't breathe. I opened all of the windows, doors, turned on the air conditioner, fans, and hepa filters. It now 18 hours later the following morning, and the smell and fumes are still everywhere. My birds are ok as I've kept that door closed to their room. What's the cause? PTFEs, aka TEFLON... and other toxins inside the oven.  

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Teflon kills birds, and according to Poison Control, people get a 'flu' from it with headaches, nausea, and worse. If you are a singer, actor or public speaker, or a person who has allergies, asthma, COPD, or other health issues, you may want to consider doing some research before you cook that omelette in your new non-stick teflon pan or heat up a pizza in your new oven.  

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ABC News said (July 26, 2024) that there is a rise in 'teflon flu' cases: " PFAS are manufactured chemicals that have been used in products like nonstick cookware, cosmetics and water-repellent clothing for decades, but have more recently been linked to cause adverse health effects in some instances, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the U.S., manufacturers aren't required to identify PFAS on labels.

Sutton said he recommends that people check their non-stick cookware to see if it is old or worn, and to get rid of it if it has been used for more than three to five years."

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And here, you can read about several people's personal experiences with new ovens and self-cleaning ovens and negative health effects:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2313163/noxious-new-oven-smell

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Want an alternative to toxic fumes for cleaning your oven?  Here's a guide by Andrea Green: https://youtu.be/g0FyzTGJmSk?si=DWtOa6WL5zRzmXtM

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Teflon isn't just in ovens and frying pans.  One account I read provides this list: 

Teflon is in oven bags, hair straighteners, irons, ironing board covers, coffee makers, popcorn makers, sandwich presses, air fryers, many heaters etc.    And, even dental floss is coated with teflon!  Here is a consumer report on dental floss that is free of teflon: https://www.consumerreports.org/toxic-chemicals-substances/dental-floss-without-pfas-and-other-harmful-chemicals-a9722832754/

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Air quality matters.  Protecting your indoor air quality is vital for singers, actors, speakers, and those suffering from medical conditions that affect their breathing.  

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- Zoe Vandermeer

Singer, Voice Teacher, Speech Coach, Vocal Rehab Consultant

www.vandermeervoicestudio.com