Toxicology Data for Alternative “Short-Chain” Fluorinated Substances

Abstract

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been manufactured and widely used since the 1950s in numerous industrial and consumer applications. However, various perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which have been manufactured and sold themselves and are impurities and breakdown products from numerous commercial per- and poly-fluoroalkyl surfactant and polymeric products, have been found widely in the environment. Concerns about the potential environmental impact of “long-chain” PFAAs has led to a substantial phase out of production of PFOS and PFOA and related compounds. Manufacturers have moved to production of alternative products which cannot be transformed in to long-chain PFAAs. This chapter provides an overview of available toxicology data for alternative fluorinated technologies including: short-chain fluorotelomer, short-chain electrochemical fluorination, perfluoropolyether, fluorinated oxetane, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl ether carboxylates and short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids.