Q. I've always used nonstick Teflon pans to cook with. Lately I've heard that they could be harmful to my health. What's the deal?

A. In 2006, a news release from the Environmental Working Group raised serious health concerns regarding their safety.

According to the release, a panel of experts informed the Environmental Protection Agency that a toxic chemical used in nonstick pans "pollutes nearly every American's blood." Even more alarming, the majority of experts on the panel called the chemical a "likely human carcinogen" — despite the EPA's proposal to designate it as merely a "suggested human carcinogen."

The chemical, known as PFOA, has been used in industrial manufacturing since the 1950s. The Environmental Working Group refers to PFOA as an "indestructible" chemical. Every molecule of PFOA that has ever been produced is still in our air, our water and our bodies. PFOA ends up in your blood when you use nonstick pans, and it remains there for life.

As the news release pointed out, PFOA may also determine how long you live: It causes cancer, birth defects, and other health risks in animals. According to EWG senior scientist Tim Kropp, PFOA meets the government's own criteria of a substance likely to cause cancer in humans.

Citing statistics from the Cookware Manufacturers Association, the EWG reports that 90 percent of aluminum cookware purchased in the U.S. in 2001 was coated with nonstick chemicals.

The EPA signed an agreement with several companies that manufacture PFOA with the goal of eliminating its use by 2015.

In addition to Teflon and other nonstick cookware, many other common consumer products are made with chemicals that can break down into PFOA in your body. These include some cosmetics, cleaning products, clothing and carpeting with stain-repellent coatings, and fast-food packaging.

There are many healthy alternatives to cooking with nonstick pots and pans. Stainless steel and cast iron are two of your best bets.