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

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——Industry committed to eliminate long-chain FTOH precursors by 2015 (partially achieved)
ECHA——
Canada——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).

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.

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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 →