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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://www.amrresearch.com/Content/View.asp?pmillid=17605

September 16, 2004

AMR Research (an independent research analyst firm)

Teflon: Product Safety and Brand Equity Depend on Control of Product Data

BY Kevin O'Marah and Eric Karofsky

Public perception and government regulation are mandating that manufacturers understand and be able to document their products’ compositions to new levels.

The Bottom Line: Companies not building this competency risk monetary damages from legal compliance problems and threats to brand equity. DuPont is experiencing some of these problems now with Teflon.

What It Means: DuPont has been under fire for the past year because of public health concerns about Teflon. Perfluorooctanoic acid (commonly known as PFOA or C-8) is an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of Teflon. The wastes from the product creation, as well as extreme use of the finished product, reportedly have health implications. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which issued a preliminary risk assessment of PFOA, has begun negotiations with the industry on an Enforceable Consent Agreement (ECA) to generate and submit data to the EPA for assessment. The regulation supporting this initiative is known as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

In the electronics sector, a European Union (EU) directive known as Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) is forcing manufacturers to retool their product and process designs to eliminate health threats posed to workers and the environment by elements like lead and cadmium. Costing millions of dollars, RoHS will also force a tricky manufacturing process cutover to new lead-free designs. The lessons being learned here may well apply to manufacturers regulated by the TSCA (see the AMR Research Alert article “RoHS Transition Threatens Electronics Manufacturing Business” for more information).

The data called for in assessment and for ongoing control of product composition and production processes comprises formula, test, recipe, and other engineering information. This is where a product system of record, the foundation of a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) strategy, comes in. Such a system should provide comprehensive track and trace of all such data through time.

Conclusion: Whether the threat is a matter of regulatory compliance, financial liability, or brand equity, the common thread is a need for complete control and visibility on product composition. PLM strategy starts with scoping what data may be called for during the life of a product to protect the business in the event of consumer health and safety problems. DuPont’s experience with Teflon should be a cautionary tale to other manufacturers considering their PLM strategy.