PFOA

abbreviation or noun

ˌpē-ˌef-ˌō-ˈā 

plural PFOAs

: a fluorinated carboxylic acid C₈HF₁₅O that is a member of the PFAS group and that has been used especially for its water and stain resistance (as in carpeting and upholstery), as a surfactant (as in firefighting foam), as a coating for nonstick cookware, and as an emulsifier in the synthesis of fluorinated polymers : perfluorooctanoic acid

Used in thousands of products from cookware to kids' pajamas to takeout coffee cups, PFOA is a likely human carcinogen, according to a science panel commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency.

—Leslie Savan

Some companies use PFOA to help their nonstick coatings spread evenly over the cookware during manufacturing.

—David Schardt

… PFOA and some closely related chemicals (such as PFOS) are now no longer made in the US, although they are still made in some other countries …

—American Cancer Society

called also perfluorooctanoate

Examples of PFOA in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After his first administration said PFOA and PFOS in drinking water should be regulated, standards were finalized under President Joe Biden. —Anna Clark, ProPublica, 2 July 2025

Under President Joe Biden, the EPA in April 2024 limited concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in tap water to 4 parts per trillion — an amount the agency said is the lowest at which the chemicals can be accurately detected. —Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025

In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency announced maximum contaminant levels of 4.0 ppt for both PFOA and PFOS. —Lauren Lifke, Baltimore Sun, 12 June 2025

But the vast majority of utilities face problems with PFOA or PFOS. —Michael Phillis, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025

According to the study, fiber could help lower PFOA and PFOS, two types of long-chain PFAS that are no longer used in the U.S. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 21 May 2025

The Biden administration’s rule also set standards for the two common types of PFAS, referred to as PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion, effectively the lowest level at which they can be reliably detected. —Jeremy Tanner - 05, The Hill, 17 May 2025

Limits on just two of those – PFOS and PFOA – will remain set at 4 parts per trillion, although the EPA now plans to give water systems two more years to comply, setting the deadline in 2031 instead of 2029. —Austin Fast, USA Today, 16 May 2025

Some utilities wanted a higher limit on PFOA and PFOS, according to Mark White, drinking water leader at the engineering firm CDM Smith. —Michael Phillis, Twin Cities, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above