Perfluorooctanoic acid
Agent Name
Perfluorooctanoic acid
CAS Number
335-67-1
Formula
C8-H-F15-O2
Major Category
Other Classes
Synonyms
PFOA; Pentadecafluoro-1-octanoic acid; Pentadecafluoro-n-octanoic acid; Pentadecafluorooctanoic acid; Perfluorocaprylic acid; Perfluoroctanoic acid; Perfluoroheptanecarboxylic acid; Octanoic acid, 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-pentadecafluoro-; Octanoic acid, pentadecafluoro-; [ChemIDplus] UN3261
Category
Perfluoroalkyl Acids
Description
White solid with pungent odor; [ICSC] White or cream crystalline solid; [MSDSonline]
Sources/Uses
Used to produce fire-fighting applications, cosmetics, greases, lubricants, paints, polishes, and adhesives; [HSDB]
Comments
Danger of cutaneous absorption; [MAK] A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; [ICSC] A corrosive substance that can cause injury to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract; Inhalation may cause chemical pneumonitis; [MSDSonline] See "Perfluorobutyric acid." See "Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid. "Serum PFAS concentrations were not associated with increased cardiometabolic risk measures in this population of firefighters." [PMID 33105404] "The Group 1 evaluation for PFOA by IARC in 2025 is based on the combination of sufficient evidence for cancer in experimental animals and strong mechanistic evidence of key characteristics of carcinogens in exposed humans." A paper "Identifying occupational carcinogens: an update from IARC Monographs" by Dana Loomis et al. identified in Figure 1, Group 1 Agents beginning with 120 and ending with only 47 agents based on IARC. One of the "drop outs" was 7 agents identified as mechanistic.
Restricted
". . . major US manufacturers of AFFF [aqueous film-forming foam] indicated they would no longer produce PFOA-based fluorosurfactant foams after 2015." [PMID 31045850]
Biomedical References
Exposure Assessment
MAK
0.005 mg/m3, inhalable fraction
Vapor Pressure
0.15 mm Hg
Explanatory Notes
The Guide in the Emergency Response Guidebook is for "Corrosive solid, acidic, organic, n.o.s." MAK value applies to Perfluorooctanoic acid and its inorganic salts;
Adverse Effects
Toxic Pneumonitis
Yes
Dermatotoxin
Skin burns
IARC Carcinogen
Established
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Other Information
No other related information on this agent was found.