Your Nonstick Pan Is Shedding Particles That Damage Sperm

Teflon microplastics from nonstick pans are damaging sperm. A 2025 study specifically examined polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the material Teflon is made from, and found it causes measurable harm to male fertility.

What the Study Found

Published in a 2025 study in a peer-reviewed journal, researchers examined the effect of PTFE particles on sperm quality. PTFE microplastics, shed from nonstick cookware during cooking and scratching, were found to cause a "decline in sperm quality." The study was significant enough that researchers looked at whether the damage could be repaired.

Sperm count, motility, and morphology are the three main measures of male fertility. PTFE exposure affected these markers.

How You're Being Exposed

Every scratch on a nonstick pan releases PTFE particles. Every time you cook at temperatures above 260°C (500°F), the coating begins to break down. The particles go into your food. You eat them. Researchers have found PTFE in human blood and tissue samples.

The same coating that makes your eggs slide off the pan is a microplastic. The pan manufacturers knew PTFE particles shed. They argued the particles were inert. This study suggests otherwise.

Stainless steel and cast iron cook the same foods without shedding any particles into them. You can season cast iron to create a naturally non-stick surface. Browse non-toxic kitchen alternatives for cookware that doesn't shed PTFE.

Also see glass food containers for safer alternatives.

Source: Therapeutic Repair of Sperm Quality Decline Caused by Polytetrafluoroethylene (2025).