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PFTA

Perfluorotetradecanoic acid

2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,12,12,13,13,14,14,14-heptacosafluorotetradecanoic acid

Also known as PFTAPFTDA
Perfluorotetradecanoic acidPerfluoromyristic acidTetradecanoic acid, heptacosafluoro-2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,12,12,13,13,14,14,14-heptacosafluorotetradecanoic acidCY7BGN3727PFTA perfluorotetradecanoic acidPFTreA perfluorotetradecanoic acid206-803-4

A 14-carbon long-chain PFCA — the longest PFCA in UCMR 5 (with PFTrDA at 13C). No PFTA-specific RfD; 0.006 ppt benchmark derived from EPA's 2024 IRIS PFDA value. Detected at 64 utilities serving 605K people.

Group
PFAS
Regulatory status
UCMR
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule
Top removal tech
Activated carbon

Primary concern: Immune and developmental effects (PFDA-surrogate)

Affected organ systems

Liver Immune Developmental Endocrine Affecting the body's hormone system — thyroid, adrenal, reproductive, or metabolic hormones.

Health effects

Carcinogen A substance known or reasonably suspected to cause cancer based on human or animal studies. Immunotoxin Suppresses or alters the immune system. Can increase risk of infection or reduce vaccine effectiveness. Endocrine disruptor Mimics or blocks the body's hormones (estrogen, thyroid, testosterone). Can affect development, reproduction, and metabolism at very low doses. Developmental toxin Causes harm during development before birth or in early childhood — birth defects, low birth weight, delayed growth, or learning problems later in life. Hepatotoxin Damages the liver. Effects range from elevated liver enzymes on a blood test to fatty liver disease and, with prolonged exposure, liver cancer.

Exposure routes

Drinking water Dietary Occupational In utero Breast milk

Vulnerable populations

Pregnant Infants Children

Overview

Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA, also abbreviated PFTDA) is a 14-carbon perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (C14HF27O2, MW 714) — the longest individually monitored PFCA in UCMR 5 (tied at chain extreme with PFTrDA at 13 carbons). The very long perfluorinated chain gives PFTA negligible water solubility, extreme bioaccumulation potential, and a multi-year human serum elimination half-life that is poorly characterized but expected to exceed PFDA (~3-5 years). PFTA has been detected at 64 U.S. public water systems serving roughly 605,000 people across 9 states, with Massachusetts dominating the occurrence list (29 utilities, 368K served).

Pollution sources

Industry Manufacturing Consumer products

Sources

PFTA contamination of U.S. drinking water is driven primarily by environmental biotransformation of very-long-chain fluorotelomer precursors used in stain-, grease-, and water-resistant coatings on textiles, paper, food packaging, and carpet treatments — the broad Massachusetts diffuse-background pattern reflects this telomer-precursor source. Localized industrial point sources also appear: Lincoln, AL (12.5 ppt) and the Gadsden, AL Etowah County metals-finishing district cluster (Gadsden Water Works at 2.41 ppt across multiple co-located systems) reflect regional industrial impact, and Fort Drum, NY (0.023 ppt) is a direct on-base AFFF-related detection. Because the 14-carbon perfluorinated chain is no longer manufactured in the United States as a primary commercial product (long-chain PFAS were phased out under EPA's 2010/2015 PFOA Stewardship Program), most contemporary PFTA in source water arises from legacy environmental reservoirs and from biotransformation of remaining long-chain telomer feedstocks.

Health risks

There is no PFTA-specific EPA Reference Dose or IRIS toxicological review. The 0.006 ppt drinking-water benchmark is derived by applying EPA's 2024 IRIS PFDA toxicity value as a surrogate, on the basis of structural similarity (PFDA is the 10-carbon PFCA, PFTA the 14-carbon) and shared toxicological endpoints across long-chain PFCAs: hepatotoxicity, immune suppression, thyroid disruption, and developmental effects. PFTA has not been classified as a carcinogen by IARC or NTP. Human pharmacokinetic data is essentially absent; serum half-life is expected to be multi-year, on par with or longer than PFDA. PFTA is not included in the 2024 NPDWR Hazard Index mixture and has no individual federal MCL.

Effective treatments

Activated carbon Granular or block carbon that traps organic contaminants as water flows through. The most common point-of-use filter media — handles chlorine taste, VOCs, pesticides, and many PFAS. Reverse osmosis A semipermeable membrane that pushes water through under pressure, leaving most dissolved contaminants behind. Removes a very broad range — PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrate, salts — at the cost of slower flow and some wastewater. Ion exchange Resin beads that swap unwanted ions (lead, calcium, certain PFAS, perchlorate) for harmless ones like sodium. Common in water softeners and PFAS treatment columns.

Does not remove

UV Ultraviolet light that disrupts the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa as water flows past the lamp. Disinfects but doesn't remove chemicals or particles. Chlorination Adds chlorine or hypochlorite to kill bacteria and viruses. The most common disinfection method in US water systems; leaves a residual that keeps water protected through the distribution pipes. Boil Kills bacteria, viruses, and protozoa after a one-minute rolling boil. Does NOT remove chemicals like lead, nitrate, or PFAS — boiling actually concentrates them as water evaporates.

NSF certifications

NSF/ANSI 53 Health-related contaminants NSF/ANSI 58 Reverse osmosis systems

Water treatment

PFTA is one of the easiest UCMR 5 PFAS to remove with granular activated carbon: very-long-chain PFCAs adsorb extremely strongly onto GAC and break through later than any other PFCA in the UCMR 5 set. Anion exchange resin and high-pressure membranes (reverse osmosis, nanofiltration) are also highly effective. Conventional treatment processes — coagulation, sand filtration, disinfection, UV, and ozonation — do not remove PFTA. Boiling concentrates rather than removes it. NSF/ANSI 53 and NSF P473 certify point-of-use filters for general PFAS reduction; NSF/ANSI 58 covers RO systems. As with PFDA, PFDoA, PFUnA, and PFTrDA, the 0.006 ppt PFDA-surrogate guideline sits below analytical reporting limits and is not operationally verifiable — utilities meeting the long-chain PFAS NPDWR MCLs with GAC, AIX, or RO will incidentally control PFTA at the same time.

Gallery

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Related contaminants

Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) A 13-carbon long-chain PFCA between PFDoA (12C) and PFTA (14C). No PFTrDA-specific RfD; 0.006 ppt benchmark derived from EPA's 2024 IRIS PFDA value. Detected at 41 utilities serving 371K people across 8 states. Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) A 12-carbon long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acid, more bioaccumulative than PFDA. Risk-assessed by surrogate to PFDA's 2024 IRIS RfD; detected in 93 U.S. public water systems serving 2.1M people under UCMR 5. Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) A 10-carbon long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acid (PFCA) with high environmental persistence and human bioaccumulation. 2024 EPA IRIS RfD for immune/developmental effects yields the strictest UCMR 5 health benchmark.

Chemistry + classification data sourced from public databases (PubChem, EPA CompTox, IARC monographs); 3D molecular models from 3d.nih.gov where available.