LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- A scientific advisory board working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded Wednesday that a key chemical used to produce the nonstick material Teflon is a "likely carcinogen."

    The board voted unanimously in a public teleconference meeting to support a report that assesses the potential risk of Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a man-made chemical applied in the manufacture of Teflon.

    "The predominant SAB (Scientific Advisory Board) view was that the experimental weight of evidence regarding the human carcinogenic potential of PFOA was more consistent with the Agency's descriptor of 'likely to be carcinogenic'," the report concluded.

    "Laboratory studies on rats show that the PFOA is a multi-site and multi-gender carcinogen," it said. The report, drafted this January, had no major changes made after the meeting.

    The PFOA, also known as C-8, is an essential processing aid used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers, which have a wide variety of product applications, including nonstick cookware.

    Chemical giant DuPont, owner of the Teflon brand, is the sole producer of PFOA in North America.

    The chemical can also be a byproduct of the manufacture of fluorotelomers used in surface protection products for applications such as stain-resistant textiles and grease-resistant food wrapping.

    In January, EPA launched a global program inviting companies to reduce the PFOA releases and its presence in products by 95 percent by no later than 2010, and to work toward eliminating these sources of exposure no later than 2015. Enditem