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It sounds like they're using it in an electret. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/electret Teflon is definitely the go-to material, so I'm not surprised they reached for it in a prototype. But there are lots of possible alternatives, and they'd probably be able to find one suitable for this application if they're leaning into the "clean" aspect of the tech.

What's wrong with Teflon? There's not much information about relation to cancer on Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene

The issue (from what we know now) isn’t PTFE directly but PFOA/PFAS that is used in the process (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfluorooctanoic_acid)

Also overheating PTFE or mechanically damaging/scratching PTFE. Which I think is not that far fetch in some percentage of what would constitute 'normal usage'.

It's a perfectly fine material for many purposes. For most plumbing and scientific uses there is nothing wrong with it.

Teflon is not cancerous, according to our best scientific knowledge. It is commonly used for medical implants and devices, for example for lining of the catheters.

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