PTFE (Teflon) fumes — acute fatal inhalation toxicosis in pet birds
Verbatim first-hand facts from Avian toxicoses: a review (peer-reviewed, open access, PMC12375962). All bullets are exact substrings of the cited source and C1-substring verified. Companion (pet) birds are the focus; the source is a peer-reviewed review of avian toxicoses.
Toxicology facts
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) In pet birds, deadly polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon TM ) fume intoxications are not uncommon.
- PTFE is an inert, synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that is commonly used on cookware and heat bulbs, among other materials, as a scratch-resistant and waterproof agent ( 1 , 9 , 10 ).
- When PTFE is heated above 280°C, it decomposes into particulates and fluorinated acid gases, such as carbonyl fluoride, hydrogen fluoride, and perfluoroisobutylene, which are extremely toxic to birds when inhaled ( 1 , 2 ).