Pet Safety / Compounds / 8:2 FTOH (8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol)

Is 8:2 FTOH (8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol) safe for dogs and cats?

Moderate risk for pets

Not veterinary or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a veterinarian — consult one about your animal. Full disclaimer →

Floor-level living increases FTOH inhalation from treated carpets. Transforms to PFOA in vivo.

What is 8:2 ftoh (8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol)?

The IUPAC name is 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecan-1-ol.

Also known as: 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluoro-1-decanol, 1,1,2,2-Tetrahydroperfluoro-1-decanol, 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-Heptadecafluorodecan-1-ol, 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecan-1-ol.

IUPAC name
3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecan-1-ol
CAS number
678-39-7
Molecular formula
C10H5F17O
Molecular weight
464.12 g/mol
SMILES
C(CO)C(C(C(C(C(C(C(C(F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F
PubChem CID
69619

Risk for dogs

Moderate risk

Floor-level living increases FTOH inhalation from treated carpets. Transforms to PFOA in vivo.

Risk for cats

Moderate risk

Indoor-only cats have continuous exposure from treated textiles and furnishings. Limited metabolic data.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified 8:2 FTOH (8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA—PFOA Stewardship Programphase out — Industry committed to eliminate long-chain FTOH precursors by 2015 (partially achieved)
ECHA—PFAS restriction proposalproposed restriction
Canada—CEPA Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulationsrestricted — Regulated as PFOA precursor

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter 8:2 ftoh (8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol)

  • Indoor Air — Homes with stain-resistant carpet/upholstery, Offices, Retail stores with treated textiles
    Off-gases from PFAS-treated consumer products — primary human exposure route for FTOHs
  • Food Packaging — Grease-resistant food wrappers, Pizza boxes, Microwave popcorn bags
    8:2 FTOH is a residual in fluorotelomer-treated food-contact paper
  • Textile Treatment — Stain-resistant carpets, DWR-treated outdoor gear, Upholstery fabrics
    Off-gases from fluorotelomer polymer coatings applied to textiles
  • Ski Wax — Fluorinated ski waxes, Performance glide waxes
    8:2 FTOH is a major component of fluorinated ski waxes — banned by FIS in 2023

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to 8:2 FTOH (8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol):

  • Non-fluorinated DWR treatments (silicone, wax, dendrimer-based)
    Trade-offs: Functional performance and cost-effectiveness may vary by application.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • C6 fluorotelomer chemistry (less PFOA but still persistent)
    Trade-offs: Functional performance and cost-effectiveness may vary by application.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is 8:2 ftoh (8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol) safe for pets?

Floor-level living increases FTOH inhalation from treated carpets. Transforms to PFOA in vivo.

What products contain 8:2 ftoh (8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol)?

8:2 FTOH (8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol) appears in: Homes with stain-resistant carpet/upholstery (indoor air); Offices (indoor air); Grease-resistant food wrappers (food packaging); Pizza boxes (food packaging); Stain-resistant carpets (textile treatment).

Why do regulators disagree about 8:2 ftoh (8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol)?

8:2 FTOH (8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol) has been classified by 3 agencies including EPA, ECHA, Canada, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See 8:2 FTOH (8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol) in the pets app

Look up products containing 8:2 ftoh (8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in pets View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →