Almost as bad as ingesting bristles is how commonly people are using metal brushes to clean their teflon-coated grill equipment. The teflon breaks off, becoming

Almost as bad as ingesting bristles is how commonly people are using metal brushes to clean their teflon-coated grill equipment. The teflon breaks off, becoming part of the food you're cooking. Ingesting teflon flakes (at/from grill temperatures above 450 degrees) is a direct route to autoimmune disease due to the fluoropolymers, as well as higher cancer risk from perfluorooctanoic acid. I can't tell you how many times I've seen metal brushes next to teflon-coated grills. Or even worse, visibly flaked teflon coating on grills heated to high temperatures. Suffice it to say, it's been often enough to remark on. Should you decide to own teflon-coated grill equipment, use an onion to clean your grill next time; it's far less abrasive.