Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, CAS No. 335-67-1) is a fully fluorinated eight-carbon carboxylic acid and one of the most widely studied and regulated PFAS. PFOA was historically used as a processing aid in fluoropolymer manufacturing (e.g., PTFE production) and as a component of surface treatment formulations. It is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by IARC (2023), is listed as a Persistent Organic Pollutant under the Stockholm Convention (2019), is restricted under REACH, and is designated as a hazardous substance under CERCLA.

Stockholm Convention (COP-9, 2019); REACH Annex XVII Entry 68; CERCLA Final Rule (2024); IARC Monograph Vol. 135 (2023); EU POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021.

PFOA is the archetype of PFAS regulation. It is banned or restricted under virtually every major chemical regulation globally. For compliance, the key action is verifying that no PFOA or PFOA-related substances are present above applicable thresholds in products and materials. Under REACH, the concentration limit is 25 ppb for PFOA itself and 1,000 ppb for any single PFOA-related substance. The EU POPs Regulation has similar limits. Companies must collect PFOA declarations from suppliers and maintain test data.

A cookware manufacturer sources non-stick coating materials. Testing reveals the coating contains 15 ppb of PFOA. This is below the 25 ppb REACH limit but must still be declared in SCIP database notifications if the product is placed on the EU market as an article of concern. The manufacturer should document the test results and assess whether the coating supplier has fully transitioned away from PFOA-based processing aids.