Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology have found trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in 86.7% of 113 samples of tap water and bottled beverages collected in New Jersey in what is called the first statewide monitoring study of ultra-short-chain PFAS in the U.S. Out of 70 tap-water samples, TFA, a byproduct of HFO-1234yf and other f-gases, was detected in 91.4%, with concentrations ranging 74 to 1360ng/L, and a mean of 573ng/L.
Among 43 bottled beverages, TFA was found in 79.1%, with concentrations from 59.6 to 94,100ng/L. The mean concentration in 12 formulated beverages was 15,400ng/L while for 31 bottled waters it was 295ng/L, a 52.2-fold difference. “This work demonstrates widespread TFA occurrence and supports the need for coordinated nationwide surveys,” the study said. By comparison, recent TFA data from the U.K. showed an average of 2,600ng/L in surface water and 2,800ng/L in groundwater.
