Working Out with Teflon?

A Reader Writes The Green Guide:

I have a question with regards to Teflon: I just purchased a NordicTrack elliptical fitness machine and set it up in our bedroom with the goal to become more physical active. It came with a tube of high-temperature Teflon lubricant to put on the tracks to make the wheels glide. I am concerned about the Teflon becoming an in-home pollutant. Do you have any recommendations or advice about what I could use instead or if I should worry? If I get an air filter will that remove the possible Teflon pollutants? Have you ever investigated the effects of using this type of gel for fitness equipment, or are you aware of any eco-friendly fitness publications who may take an interest in this subject? Many thanks to you for any advice or redirection you can offer me. I know so many people who operate fitness equipment in their homes and bedrooms: By using them are we defeating the purpose .... good health?

The Green Guide Responds:

Dupont has found many applications for Teflon—or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)—since its accidental discovery in 1938. Now Teflon can be found in a wide range of products from armor-piercing bullets, body armor, electrical insulation, moving parts like bearings and industrial lubricants to frying pans, household lubricants and Gore-Tex. Whether we know it or not, we encounter Teflon every day. The EPA has determined that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used in the manufacture of Teflon, is widespread in the environment and is present in the blood of the general population. Nearly all people tested have low levels of PFOA in their blood. And while the health risks are not fully understood, the EPA has recently revised their assessment of the chemical, stating that it is a likely human carcinogen. The chemical does not break down in the environment and will remain in the body for years. It has also turned up in extremely, remote and delicate environments, such as in the arctic in the blood of polar bears and in a wildlife refuge in the Midway Atoll in the blood of the Laysan Albatross. For their part, Dupont has been aware of the risks posed by their product for over twenty years and have only recently disclosed the data after pressure from the Environmental Working Group and the EPA. There is now clear evidence that Teflon can be hazardous at temperatures between 680 and 930 degrees Fahrenheit. For this reason, The Green Guide urges people to stop using Teflon pans and return to good old cast iron or ceramic coated pans.

The health risk of using Teflon gel lubricant is probably very low. As a gel it will remain on the surface to which it's applied, unlike, say, a Teflon powder. The lubricant will also stay within a safe temperature during use. The internal parts of the machine may very well already be coated with a Teflon lubricant by the manufacturer. From an engineering standpoint, Teflon is an incredible lubricant and won't be going away any time soon. That said, there are safer options. You'll have to check with the manufacturer regarding the specific function of the Teflon lubricant—there are many different NordicTrack elliptical fitness machines and many different kinds of lubricants—but you should be able to substitute a food-grade and/or a non-petroleum biolubricant (see below and our Just Ask on green bicycle lubricants).

SoyClean Penetrant and Lubricant
A soy-based, multi-purpose lubricant.
www.soyclean.biz

Slipit Sliding Compound
Silicone-based greaseless, odorless gel. FDA, USDA accepted for use in applications with incidental food contact.
www.slipit.com

Slipit Sil-Free Sliding Compound
Silicone-free odorless gel. FDA, USDA accepted for use in applications with incidental food contact.
www.slipit.com