Trifluoroacetic acid
Profile
Trifluoroacetic acid, or trifluoroacetate (TFA), is a short-chain perfluorocarboxylic acid and the final degradation product of many fluorinated compounds. When fluorinated gases, which are widely used as refrigerants in heat pumps, air conditioning systems and refrigerators, for example, are released into the atmosphere, they are chemically altered by UV radiation and converted into TFA. However, fluorinated compounds are also used in plant protection products and medicines, and TFA can also be produced from these. TFA is very persistent; its high water solubility means that it is highly mobile in the soil and can easily enter the groundwater.
Occurrence
Due to the widespread use of fluorinated compounds and its persistence, TFA is now found throughout the environment. It can be detected in groundwater, rainwater, rivers, seas, soil and even in plants, with concentrations being highest in summer due to photochemical activity in the atmosphere (Bavarian State Office for the Environment).
The German Federal Environment Agency reports average TFA levels in precipitation of 0.335 μg/L (Federal Environment Agency 2023).
Health effects
TFA is absorbed via food or drinking water; some of it enters the enterohepatic cycle (the circulation of certain substances in the bodies of mammals between the gut, liver and gallbladder), distributed throughout the body (including the placenta) and rapidly excreted via urine and faeces.
New scientific evidence shows that trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) can impair reproduction and the development of offspring in animal studies. This assessment is based on animal studies which demonstrate these adverse effects at doses of 180 mg/kg body weight per day or higher. There are no studies or reports on humans.
By comparison, the intake of TFA by a person in Austria via food and drinking water is around 50–100 µg TFA, which is approximately 1–1.7 µg/kg body weight. This is just over 100,000 times lower than in the animal studies and is well below the EFSA’s current ADI of 0.05 mg/kg body weight.
The health implications of current TFA intake via drinking water and food are being reassessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). A final European risk assessment is not yet available.
Situation in Austria
In Austria, TFA has been analysed in groundwater as part of the Water Status Monitoring Programme (GZÜV). TFA is widely detectable in groundwater in Austria. Since 2018, a total of 281 groundwater samples have been analysed for TFA. Of these, concentrations above the limit of quantification were found in 274 samples. The average concentration was 1.4 µg/l, with the highest measured value being 21 µg/l (H2O specialist database – public quality data enquiry).
In 2025, AGES analysed TFA in drinking water as part of an Austria-wide monitoring programme. Of the 331 drinking water samples, TFA was detected in 307 samples (corresponding to 93%) at concentrations above the limit of quantification of 0.1 µg/l. The highest concentration measured was 6.03 µg/l. There is currently no EU-wide harmonised limit value (parameter value) for TFA in drinking water.
In the EU, and therefore in Austria, there is currently no statutory limit for drinking water. The German Federal Environment Agency (2020) has derived a health guideline value of 60 µg/l and points out that a concentration of 10 µg/l or less of TFA in drinking water should be aimed for. In Denmark, a limit of 9 µg/l has been set for TFA in drinking water (Drikkevandsbekendtgørelsen). In Italy, a limit of 10 µg/l for TFA in drinking water has been in force since July 2025 (https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2025/07/04/25G00106/SG).
The guideline ‘Handling of unregulated contaminants in drinking water, BMG-75210/0023-II/B/13/2014’ stipulates that maximum levels set by other countries may be used to determine derived tolerance levels. As soon as a new risk assessment from the EFSA is available, a new tolerance level should be derived.
In 2025, the European Commission issued a recommendation on the monitoring of TFA in foodstuffs, on the basis of which corresponding monitoring of plant-based foodstuffs is currently being carried out in Austria. A final assessment is not yet available. Monitoring of foodstuffs will also be carried out again in 2026.
Technical information
Risk assessment
The European Commission has tasked the EFSA with preparing an opinion on the revision of the toxicological reference values for TFA (“reviewing the toxicological reference values for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)”).
The draft opinion on TFA was open for public consultation from 22 July 2025 to 22 September 2025 (https://open.efsa.europa.eu/consultations/a0cTk00000Gj0ilIAB?search=trifluoroacetic). The comments are now being discussed by the EFSA working group and will be incorporated into the assessment where appropriate. A final EFSA opinion is currently still pending.
Furthermore, EFSA and ECHA are working on a joint assessment of the fate and behaviour of TFA in soil and water: “Joint Request to EFSA and ECHA to consider the fate and behaviour of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in soil and water.” – Planned duration: 18 months, Dec 2025 – June 2027, Open EFSA.
In light of new toxicological data on developmental toxicity in rabbits at doses of 180 mg/kg body weight per day or higher, the human toxicological relevance of TFA is currently being reassessed in several renewal procedures for active substances in plant protection products. A metabolite of an active substance in plant protection products is considered to be relevant in terms of human toxicology within the meaning of the Plant Protection Products Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009) if there are grounds for believing that it possesses certain toxicological properties that are deemed unacceptable.
Hazard and labelling classification by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
The hazard classification and labelling of TFA is carried out by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The assessment by ECHA’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) is based exclusively on the hazardous properties of the substance and whether it is capable of causing adverse effects. It does not take into account the risk or the extent to which people and the environment are exposed to the substance.
The German Federal Office for Chemicals (BfC), together with the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), has submitted a report to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in accordance with the CLP Regulation on the harmonised classification and labelling of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and its salts. According to the German authorities’ assessment, TFA is toxic to reproduction and is highly persistent and mobile in the environment. The report was available for public consultation on the ECHA website until 25 July 2025. Following this, ECHA’s RAC will discuss the report from the German authorities and the comments received. In June 2026, ECHA confirms that TFA has an adverse effect on reproduction. The RAC recommends a corresponding classification for TFA as toxic to reproduction, Category 1B, with the hazard statement (H360Df). A substance classified as ‘toxic to reproduction, Category 1B’ is considered likely to be toxic to human reproduction. This classification is based on conclusive animal studies suggesting that the substance impairs fertility or causes developmental damage in offspring. The hazard statement H360Df indicates the following risks: “May damage the unborn child. May impair fertility” (https://echa.europa.eu/documents/d/guest/rac77_final_minutes_en).
The resulting opinion from the RAC will be submitted to the European Commission with a view to drafting a corresponding proposal to amend the CLP Regulation.
ECHA’s current classification of TFA and Germany’s proposed classification can be found here.
ECHA’s classification serves to label and classify chemical substances for storage, transport and packaging. It does not take into account potential human exposure and makes no statement regarding the risk to humans.
To assess the risk, it is necessary to calculate the amount absorbed through food and drink, via the air and through skin contact. Consequently, EFSA and AGES derive safe, health-based guideline values and carry out health risk assessments for the population. These serve as the basis for risk management when setting statutory limit values.
OECD definition of PFAS
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), PFAS are defined as fluorinated substances containing at least one fully fluorinated methyl or methylene carbon atom (without an H/Cl/Br/I atom bonded to it), i.e. with a few exceptions, any chemical containing at least one perfluorinated methyl group (-CF₃) or one perfluorinated methylene group (-CF₂) is a PFAS.
Leitung
DI Johann Steinwider
- johann.steinwider@ages.at
- efsafocalpoint@ages.at
- +43 50 555 25702
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Spargelfeldstraße 191
1220 Wien
Last updated: 29.06.2026
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