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

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

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—UCMR5 monitoring listmonitored
NC DEQ—GenX Investigationinvestigation — 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).

Why do regulators disagree about pfmpa (perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, pmpa)?

PFMPA (Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid, PMPA) has been classified by 2 agencies including EPA, NC DEQ, 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 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.

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 →