Pet Safety / Compounds / PFMPA (Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, PMPA)

Is PFMPA (Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, PMPA) safe for dogs and cats?

Moderate risk for pets

Limited data.

What is pfmpa (perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, pmpa)?

The IUPAC name is 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-3-(trifluoromethoxy)propanoic acid.

Also known as: 377-73-1, Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid, 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-3-(trifluoromethoxy)propanoic acid, perfluoromethoxypropionic acid.

IUPAC name
2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-3-(trifluoromethoxy)propanoic acid
CAS number
377-73-1
Molecular formula
C4HF7O3
Molecular weight
230.04 g/mol
SMILES
C(=O)(C(C(OC(F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)O
PubChem CID
120228

Risk for dogs

Moderate risk

Limited data.

Risk for cats

Moderate risk

Limited data.

Regulatory consensus

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

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA——
NC DEQ——Part of NC GenX contamination investigation at Chemours Fayetteville Works

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 pfmpa (perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, pmpa)

  • Drinking Water — Cape Fear River, NC (downstream of Chemours), Municipal water in Fayetteville, NC area
    Detected alongside HFPO-DA (GenX) near Chemours plant
  • Industrial Discharge — Fluoropolymer manufacturing effluent
    Byproduct of fluoropolymer production processes

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to PFMPA (Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, PMPA):

  • Non-fluorinated polymerization aids
    Trade-offs: Functional performance and cost-effectiveness may vary by application.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Fluorine-free dispersions
    Trade-offs: Functional performance and cost-effectiveness may vary by application.
    Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)

Frequently asked questions

Is pfmpa (perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, pmpa) safe for pets?

Limited data.

What products contain pfmpa (perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, pmpa)?

PFMPA (Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, PMPA) appears in: Cape Fear River, NC (downstream of Chemours) (drinking water); Municipal water in Fayetteville, NC area (drinking water); Fluoropolymer manufacturing effluent (industrial discharge).

See PFMPA (Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, PMPA) in the pets app

Look up products containing pfmpa (perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, pmpa), 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 →