at levels greater than in the general population. The studies concluded that there was an association between PFOA exposure and six health outcomes: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Overall, PTFE cookware is considered a minor exposure pathway to PFOA. GenX As a result of the lawsuits concerning the PFOA class-action lawsuit, DuPont began to use GenX, a similarly fluorinated compound, as a replacement for perfluorooctanoic acid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers, such as Teflon-brand PTFE. However, in lab tests on rats, GenX has been shown to cause many of the same health problems as PFOA. The chemicals are manufactured by Chemours, a corporate spin-off of DuPont, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While PFOA was phased out by 2014, Chemours was already found to be dumping GenX into the Cape Fear River in 2017, with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) ordering Chemours to halt discharges of all fluorinated compounds on September 5, 2017. Similar polymers The Teflon trade name is also used for other polymers with similar compositions: Perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA) Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) These retain the useful PTFE properties of low friction and nonreactivity, but are also more easily formable. For example, FEP is softer than PTFE and melts at ; it is also highly transparent and resistant to sunlight. See also BS 4994, PTFE as a thermoplastic lining for dual laminate chemical process plant equipment Dark Waters, a film about litigation related to PFOA The Devil We Know, documentary on PFOA's health and environmental effects ETFE Gore-Tex waterproof fabric Magnesium/Teflon/Viton, pyrolant thermite composition Polymer adsorption Superhydrophobic coating Surface treatment of PTFE Notes References Further reading External links Plasma Processes and Adhesive Bonding of Polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) (Properties) | Fluorotherm.com American inventions Biomaterials Dielectrics Dry lubricants DuPont DuPont products Fluorocarbons Fluoropolymers Plastics Pyrotechnic oxidizers Roofing materials Engineering plastic