Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is one of the ultrashort-chain perfluoroalkyl acids, a subset of the larger family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). TFA is a degradation product of many refrigerants and is also directly released from industrial products and processes; it is now widespread as a contaminant in the environment. This raises serious concerns about global health and environmental impacts.
In this EDC Strategies Partnership webinar, Dr. Hans Peter Arp will discuss a new study, The Global Threat from the Irreversible Accumulation of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA). A review of 43 studies reporting on TFA concentrations was conducted for the new study. Monitoring data was analyzed based on research spanning from the late 1990s to the 2020s. Collectively, these data indicate that TFA exposure is widespread and is increasing.
The study authors note that shorter-chain PFAS have been assumed to be less hazardous than longer-chain PFAS, but that widespread exposures have not been taken into account in making this assessment. They note “TFA’s ubiquitous accumulation in the environment, in particular its observed accumulation in water resources and bioaccumulation in various plants, including crops.” They argue that TFA poses a planetary boundary threat, based on increasing exposure world-wide, irreversible environmental contamination, and “long-lasting disruptive effects on human health and vital earth system processes.” The authors call for binding actions to reduce emissions of TFA and its precursors.
Featured Speaker
Hans Peter Heinrich Arp, PhD is a Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His research interests are at the intersection of fundamental and applied aspects of environmental pollution. On the fundamental level, he is interested in how different types of pollutants, such as microplastics, PFAS, PAHs, POPs and metals behave in the environment. On the applied level, he uses this fundamental knowledge to design solutions within the context of emerging technologies and policy mechanisms, such as REACH and the circular economy, to create a zero pollution society. His current research projects include SLUDGEFFECT, which seeks to mitigate the harmful presence of hazardous substances of sewage sludge and e-waste plastic within a circular economy, and ZeroPM (Zero Pollution of Persistent, Mobile Substances), which involves 16 institutes across Europe identifying ways to prevent, prioritize and remove pollution of mobile PFAS and other PMT/vPvM substances.
This webinar is hosted by the EDC Strategies Partnership, which is co-chaired by Sharyle Patton (Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center), Jerry Heindel and Sarah Howard (Environmental Health Sciences' Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies, HEEDS), Génon Jensen (Health and Environment Alliance, HEAL), and Rachel Massey (Collaborative for Health and Environment, CHE). To see a full list of past calls and webinars related to EDCs and listen to or view recordings, please visit our partnership page.