Is PFMBA (Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid) safe for dogs and cats?

What is pfmba (perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid)?

The IUPAC name is 2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluoro-4-(trifluoromethoxy)butanoic acid.

Also known as: Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid, RefChem:860222, 640-688-5, 863090-89-5.

IUPAC name

2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluoro-4-(trifluoromethoxy)butanoic acid

CAS number

863090-89-5

Molecular formula

C5HF9O3

Molecular weight

280.04 g/mol

SMILES

C(=O)(C(C(C(OC(F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)O

PubChem CID

12498036

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified PFMBA (Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid). The classifications differ — that's the data.

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 pfmba (perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid)

• Drinking Water — Cape Fear River downstream of Chemours, NC municipal water systems
  Co-occurs with PFMPA and GenX in Chemours contamination plume
• Industrial Discharge — Fluoropolymer manufacturing effluent
  Byproduct of fluoropolymer production

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to PFMBA (Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid):

• Non-fluorinated manufacturing processes
  Trade-offs: Functional performance and cost-effectiveness may vary by application.
  Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions