What is PFOA?

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (conjugate base perfluorooctanoate), also known as C8, is a syntheticperfluorinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant. One industrial application is as a surfactant in the emulsion polymerization of fluoropolymers. It has been used in the manufacture of such prominent consumer goods aspolytetrafluoroethylene (commercially known as Teflon). PFOA has been manufactured since the 1940s in industrial quantities.[6] It is also formed by the degradation of precursors such as some fluorotelomers.

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Health Affects:

PFOA is a carcinogen, a liver toxicant, a developmental toxicant, and an immune system toxicant, and also exerts hormonal effects including alteration of thyroid hormone levels.

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Water contaminated with PFOA, blood levels are approximately 100 times higher than drinking water levels.

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On May 25, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established drinking water health advisories for PFOA and PFOS. The lifetime health advisories and health effects support documents to to assist federal, state, tribal, and local officials and managers of drinking water systems in protecting public health when these chemicals are present in drinking water. The levels of PFOS and PFOA concentrations under which adverse health effects are not anticipated to occur over a lifetime of exposure are 0.07 parts per billion (70 parts per trillion)