PFOA

abbreviation or noun

ˌpē-ˌef-ˌō-ˈā 

plural PFOAs

: a fluorinated carboxylic acid C₈HF₁₅O that is a member of the PFAS group and that has been used especially for its water and stain resistance (as in carpeting and upholstery), as a surfactant (as in firefighting foam), as a coating for nonstick cookware, and as an emulsifier in the synthesis of fluorinated polymers : perfluorooctanoic acid

Used in thousands of products from cookware to kids' pajamas to takeout coffee cups, PFOA is a likely human carcinogen, according to a science panel commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency.

—Leslie Savan

Some companies use PFOA to help their nonstick coatings spread evenly over the cookware during manufacturing.

—David Schardt

… PFOA and some closely related chemicals (such as PFOS) are now no longer made in the US, although they are still made in some other countries …

—American Cancer Society

called also perfluorooctanoate

Examples of PFOA in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, groundwater test results from June included samples as high as 7,400 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS and 450 ppt for PFOA, two of the most common forever chemicals. —Cecilia Garzella, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024

The program addresses nearly 800 hazardous substances in addition to PFOA and PFOS. —Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024

In tests, these monoliths were initially able to remove 53% of a common PFAS called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water in three hours. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2024

In the 36 hours that the study monitored, only about 14 percent of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has eight carbons, was absorbed into the bloodstream but over 38 percent was absorbed into the skin. —Amudalat Ajasa, Washington Post, 26 June 2024

The collection was specifically designed with breakthrough, patented technology that offers consumers a non-stick cooking surface, manufactured without any of the potentially harmful chemical coatings (PFAS, PTFE, PFOA) that are used in traditional non-stick cookware. —Anna Tingley, Variety, 25 June 2024

For two chemicals, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), the Agency's ideal contamination level is zero. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 Apr. 2024

The new regulation limits the presence in public drinking water of two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, to a maximum of 4 parts per trillion—the lowest amount feasible. —Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 20 Apr. 2024

The new rule announced on Friday empowers the government to force the many companies that manufacture or use perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as PFOA, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, known as PFOS, to monitor any releases into the environment and be responsible for cleaning them up. —Coral Davenport, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above