Perfluorooctanoate aka PFOA, aka C8, the chemical used to make Teflon non-stick pans, to “Scotchgard” furniture, in producing stain resistant carpeting and clothing and to coat the inside your microwave popcorn bags has been found in the bloodstream of almost every person and animal tested on the planet, including in the umbilical cord blood of unborn babies. Researchers have no explanation as to how this chemical has ended up in our bloodstreams. There are reports of thousands of pet birds who have died from the outgassing of hot Teflon pans, newly installed carpeting and “Scotchgarded” fabrics while the effects of this chemical on humans are still being studied. The half-life of C8 in our environment is thousands of years.