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C8 or C-8: PFOA is perfluorooctanoic acid and is sometimes called C8. It is a man-made chemical and does not occur naturally in the environment. The "PFOA" acronym is used to indicate not only perfluorooctanoic acid itself, but also its principal salts.
The PFOA derivative of greatest concern and most wide spread use is the ammonium salt (Ammonium perfluorooctanoate) commonly known as C8, C-8, or APFO and the chemical of concern in the Class Action suit in Ohio.

Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO or C8)
CAS No. 3825-26-1. Molecular formula:

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8)
CAS No: 335-67-1. Molecular formula:

The DuPont site where APFO is used as a reaction aid is the Washington Works (Route 892, Washington, West Virginia 26181) located along the Ohio River approximately seven miles southwest of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

The Little Hocking Water Association well field is located in Ohio on the north side of the Ohio River immediately across from the Washington Works facility. Consumers of this drinking water have brought a Class Action suit against the Association and DuPont for the contamination of their drinking water with DuPont's APFO, which residents and media refer to as C8.

PFOA is used as a processing aid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers to produce hundreds of items such as non-stick surfaces on cookware (TEFLON), protective finishes on carpets (SCOTCHGUARD, STAINMASTER), clothing (GORE-TEX), and the weather-resistant barrier sheeting used on homes under the exterior siding (TYVEK).

 

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/8250/8250notw9.html

December 13,  2004

Chemical and Engineering News
Volume 82, Number 50, p. 9

ENFORCEMENT

EPA Again Cites DuPont On PFOA
Agency says company held back results of tests of human blood

By CHERYL HOGUE
 
Claiming that DuPont withheld the results of a study of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in human blood, EPA announced last week that it would seek a fine of nearly $1.5 million from the company.

EPA says DuPont should have sent the test results to the agency promptly, as required under federal law. Instead, the agency received the information several weeks after DuPont allegedly obtained the data.

At issue is a study, done at DuPont's request, of PFOA in the blood of 12 plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the company. Those individuals, who live near the DuPont plant outside of Parkersburg, W.Va., were exposed to the chemical in a public drinking water supply that has averaged about 0.5 ppb of PFOA for several years, EPA says. For decades, the facility has used PFOA in the manufacture of DuPont's Teflon.

The people who were tested claim they stopped drinking their local water about three years ago, EPA says. The July 2004 study showed they had between 15.7 and 128 ppb of PFOA in their blood, with an average of 67 ppb, according to the agency. In comparison, the U.S. population is estimated to have PFOA levels of 5 ppb in blood, on average, EPA adds.

DuPont is fighting the complaint, saying the exposure levels in the 12 samples "are below occupational exposure levels, where we have not observed any adverse health effects." Therefore, the company argues, it was not required to report the data to EPA. DuPont adds that it is committed to sharing its research findings on PFOA with EPA and the public.

DuPont also faces previous EPA charges that it withheld other information on PFOA (C&EN, July 12, page 18).