Toxic substances list: Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids

Perfluorooctanoic acid, its salts and its precursors (PFOA) and long-chain (C9-C20) perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts and their precursors (LC-PFCAs) are industrial chemicals. In the case of LC-PFCAs, they may also be formed unintentionally from human activities.

PFOA and long-chain PFCAs are fluorocarbon-based chemicals (consisting of fluorine bound to carbon atoms). The PFOA molecule contains 8 carbon atoms and the long-chain PFCAs contain between 9 and 20 carbon atoms. Both substances may also be found in salt form (e.g. PFOA ammonium salt).

These substances may be formed from the degradation or transformation of their precursors, which include parent compounds and chemical products containing PFOA or PFCAs.

The Minister of the Environment has conducted a screening assessment of PFOA, as well as of long-chain (C9-C20) PFCAs. The Minister of Health has also conducted a screening assessment of PFOA. The final reports and conclusions of these assessments were published on August 25, 2012.

These final screening assessment reports conclude that PFOA and long-chain PFCAs are entering or may be entering the environment in a quantity or a concentration or under conditions that have or may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or its biological diversity. In addition, they conclude that both PFOA and long-chain PFCAs are extremely persistent and meet the criteria for persistence, but do not meet the criteria for bioaccumulation as set out in the Persistence and Bioaccumulation Regulations. Nevertheless, the weight of evidence is sufficient to conclude that both PFOA and long-chain PFCAs accumulate and biomagnify in terrestrial and marine mammals. However, it is proposed that PFOA are not entering the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health.

The Regulations Amending the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 were published in 2016 to include controls on PFOA and long-chain PFCAs. The Amendments prohibit PFOA and long-chain PFCAs and products containing them, unless present in manufactured items. Time-limited exemptions and ongoing permitted uses are available for certain uses where the development of alternatives is underway or where there are currently no known alternatives.

On October 13, 2018, a Notice of intent to amend the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 was published in Canada Gazette, Part I for a 30-day public comment period that ended on November 12, 2018.

On December 20, 2018, a consultation document describing the proposed amendments to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 was published on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Registry for a 60-day public comment period. The proposed amendments would seek to further restrict the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale and import of certain toxic substances including PFOA and long-chain PFCAs.

Comments and information received in response to the notice of intent and the consultation document will be considered in the development of proposed regulations to amend the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012. Please note that the target for publication of the proposed regulatory amendments to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 in the Canada Gazette, Part I, is winter (December 2021-March 2022).

For more information on four new fluorotelomer-based substances, which are considered sources of LC-PFCAs, please visit the following link on the Management of toxic substances web section.

For more information on LC-PFCAs, please visit the Chemical Substances website for LC-PFCAs.

For more information on PFOAs, please visit the Chemical Substances website for PFOAs.

There is more than one CAS number that applies to this group of substances.

Risk assessment

• Final Screening Assessment of Perflurooctanoic Acid (PFOA), its salts and its precursors (August 2012)
• Final Ecological Screening Assessment of Long-Chain (C9-C20) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (PFCAs), their salts and their precursors (August 2012)
• CEPA Toxic Substances List - Schedule 1

Sources

This substance is entering the environment predominantly from the following sources:

• Chemical Industry
• Industrial, Commercial and Consumer Products

Risk management strategy

Click on the following link to view strategies and actions recommended to manage risks associated with the substance:

• Risk Management Approach for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), its Salts, and its Precursors and Long-Chain (C9-C20) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (PFCAs), their Salts, and their Precursors (August 2012)
• PFCAs and Precursors: An Action Plan for Assessment and Management

Risk management tools

Tools developed to manage risks associated with the substance:

• Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012
• Proposed Regulations Amending the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012
• Environmental Performance Agreement Respecting Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids (PFCAs) and their Precursors in Perfluorinated Products Sold in Canada
• Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations (Four Fluorotelomer-Based Substances) (PDF only - archived content, found on page 155)

Consultations

Consultations (past and present) on the substance:

• Consultation document on proposed amendments to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 for PFOS, PFOA, LC-PFCAs, HBCD, PBDEs, DP and DBDPE (December 2018)
• Notice of intent to amend the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 published in Canada Gazette, Part I (October 2018)
• Response to comments on the proposed Regulations Amending the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulation, 2012 (October 2016)
• Consultation Document on Proposed Risk Management Measure for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Its Salts, and Its Precursors And Long-Chain (C₉-C₂₀) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (PFCAs), their Salts, and their Precursors (January 2014)
• Response to comments on the Consultation Document on the Proposed Risk Management Measure for PFOA and Long-Chain PFCA (April 2015)
• Response to comments on the Risk Management Approach (April 2015)
• Summary of Public Comments received on the draft screening assessment report for Long-Chain (C9-C20) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (PFCAs)
• Summary of Public Comments received on the draft screening assessment report for PFOA, its Salts and its Precursors
• Consultation on the Environmental Performance Agreement (EPA): Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids and their Precursors in Perfluorochemical Products Sold in Canada (January 2009)

Other information

• Factsheet on Aqueous film-forming foam and the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations

Contact

Chemicals Management Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351, St-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3
E-mail: ec.interdiction-prohibition.ec@canada.ca

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