"Studies have shown that DuPont's Teflon non-stick coating releases toxic and potentially deadly gases as the particles breakdown under intense heat during cooking. Toxic offgases are produced at as low as 446°F, and at 680°F Teflon coating emits six toxic compounds including two cancer-causing agents, two global pollutants, and MFA which at low doses can be lethal to humans. Temperatures of 1000°F (which can be reached by stovetop pans) will cause Teflon and other non-stick coatings to break down to a chemical warfare agent called PFIB. DuPont has stated that non-stick coating can suffer serious decomposition at temperatures above 660°F, which the company claims is far above average cooking temperatures. The Environmental Working Group conducted tests that showed Teflon coated pans reaching 721°F within five minutes of sitting on a stovetop.

Gases from Teflon coating can cause "polymer fume fever," the symptoms of which resemble the common flu. Ailments include tightness of the chest, cough, headache, chills, fever, and shortness of breath. Teflon and non-stick coating has been linked to the deaths of hundreds of household birds.

"Canaries in the Kitchen" (May 2003)."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a subsidiary of DuPont, is working with Dow AgroSciences to produce a type of wheat that is resistant to rootworm. Consumer groups are raising concerns about a certain protein in the product feared to trigger allergies in humans."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Five New York City pension funds filed shareholder proposals with 13 companies requesting the adoption of workplace human rights policies. According to the New York Comptroller's office, these policies are to include "banning child labor; allowing all workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; prohibiting discrimination of worker representatives; barring discrimination or intimidation in employment; and, not using forced labor, including bonded or prison labor." Among others, proposals were filed with Kimberly Clark of Dallas, TX, in which the systems own 1.6 million shares worth $109 million; Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. of Union, NJ, in which the systems own more than 1 million shares worth $40.9 million; E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Company of Wilmington, DE, in which the systems own 3.2 million shares worth $163.9 million."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Five New York City pension funds filed shareholder proposals with 13 companies requesting the adoption of workplace human rights policies. According to the New York Comptroller's office, these policies are to include "banning child labor; allowing all workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; prohibiting discrimination of worker representatives; barring discrimination or intimidation in employment; and, not using forced labor, including bonded or prison labor." Among others, proposals were filed with Kimberly Clark of Dallas, TX, in which the systems own 1.6 million shares worth $109 million; Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. of Union, NJ, in which the systems own more than 1 million shares worth $40.9 million; E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Company of Wilmington, DE, in which the systems own 3.2 million shares worth $163.9 million."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Dupont was fined $10.25 million dollars and agreed to pay an additional $6.25 million for environmental projects to settle charges that it concealed information on the toxicity of a particular chemical used in its signature Teflon coating. The EPA argued that for 20 years Dupont deliberately covered up facts about the serious environmental and health dangers of the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also called C-8, which contaminated water supplies near its plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia. PFOA has been identified as a likely human carcinogen."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Owners of Teflon-coated cookware filed a lawsuit against DuPont, claiming the company failed to disclose information about the product's dangers to human health. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the main chemical used in Teflon brand non-stick coating, has been identified as a "likely" human carcinogen, causing ill health effects when broken down at high temperatures."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Owners of Teflon-coated cookware filed a lawsuit against DuPont, claiming the company failed to disclose information about the product's dangers to human health. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the main chemical used in Teflon brand non-stick coating, has been identified as a "likely" human carcinogen, causing ill health effects when broken down at high temperatures."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Owners of Teflon-coated cookware filed a lawsuit against DuPont, claiming the company failed to disclose information about the product's dangers to human health. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the main chemical used in Teflon brand non-stick coating, has been identified as a "likely" human carcinogen, causing ill health effects when broken down at high temperatures."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"In February 2007, DuPont committed to end the production and use of PFOA, a probable carcinogen, in its products. DuPont aims to have stopped making PFOA and develop an alternative by 2015."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"In 2007 DuPont CEO Charles O. Holliday made $8,206,788 according to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s calculations, and $8,742,885 according to the calculation method used by the AFL-CIO."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"USPIRG named DuPont one of twelve companies endangering the most people. From 1990 to 2003, the National Response Center recorded 2,116 accidents in DuPont’s facilities. A 2004 report entitled, “Dangerous Dozen: A Look at How 12 Chemical Companies Jeopardize Millions of Americans,” found that approximately 9.12 million people live in DuPont’s “vulnerability zones.” The EPA defines the radius of a “vulnerability zone” as the greatest distance between “the point of release of a hazardous substance in which the airborne concentration could reach the level of concern under specified weather conditions.” People living within these zones have a greater risk of being affected by hazardous chemicals such as chlorine, hydrofluoric acid, and oleum, a solution of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"Glenn Evers, who spent 22 years as an engineer for DuPont, alleges that the company knew that plastic food packaging was releasing much higher levels of a chemical compound known as PFOA than the FDA allows. Evers claims that the company knew the chemical, a “likely human carcinogen,” was reaching dangerously high concentrations in food packaged using DuPont’s products, but opted not to take action."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"The United Steelworkers (USW), the largest industrial union in the United States, issued a report in November 2007 accusing DuPont of greenwashing. The USW defines greenwashing as “dissemination of disinformation by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.” The USW report points out that while DuPont claims to be supporting a “sustainable” economy through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in their manufacturing, many of their products contribute to climate change, and could be replaced by more environmentally friendly alternatives were it not for DuPont’s lobbying efforts. Almost 2000 DuPont employees are also members of the USW."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"The USW report points out that while DuPont claims to be supporting a “sustainable” economy through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in their manufacturing, many of their products contribute to climate change, and could be replaced by more environmentally friendly alternatives were it not for DuPont’s lobbying efforts. Almost 2000 DuPont employees are also members of the USW."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"According to the nonprofit investigative journalism group the Center for Public Integrity, DuPont has been linked to 103 Superfund sites where it may be solely or partially responsible for contamination. A Superfund site is defined as a toxic waste site that falls under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program, which was enacted in 1980. Under the law, companies and other parties found responsible for polluting sites are required to clean up the area or pay the costs for cleanup to the EPA. So far, DuPont has only managed to clean up 16 of their 103 sites."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"According to the nonprofit investigative journalism group the Center for Public Integrity, DuPont has been linked to 103 Superfund sites where it may be solely or partially responsible for contamination. A Superfund site is defined as a toxic waste site that falls under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program, which was enacted in 1980. Under the law, companies and other parties found responsible for polluting sites are required to clean up the area or pay the costs for cleanup to the EPA. So far, DuPont has only managed to clean up 16 of their 103 sites."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"DuPont was rated as the number one worst polluter on the Political Economy Research Institute's Toxic 100 index. The index is based on EPA Toxics Release Inventory data. PERI's Toxic 100 index ranks the nation's largest companies based on the quantity of their emissions, relative toxicity of chemicals emitted, and proximity to population centers, among other criteria."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218

"DuPont was rated as the number one worst polluter on the Political Economy Research Institute's Toxic 100 index. The index is based on EPA Toxics Release Inventory data. PERI's Toxic 100 index ranks the nation's largest companies based on the quantity of their emissions, relative toxicity of chemicals emitted, and proximity to population centers, among other criteria."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218