PFOA is the abbreviation for PerFluoroOctanoic Acid. PFOA is a fluorinated synthetic acid that was previously used as a surfactant in the manufacture of PTFE-based non-stick coatings.

The disadvantage of PFOA

The problem with PFOA is its high environmental persistence, meaning that the substance hardly decomposes or degrades. This is why there are increased concentrations of the substance, for example in river water, particularly in the area around PFOA production sites.

Restrictions by the legislator

In order to reduce exposure to PFOA, agreements have been made with the manufacturing companies since the mid-2000s to reduce the emission of PFOA through suitable measures. Later, limits were lowered and since 2020, for example, PFOA may no longer be produced in the EU, with a few exceptions.

PFOA-free non-stick coatings

As a result of the reduction and ban discussions (as of 2024), some of which date back more than 15 years, and the extensive ban on the manufacture of PFOA that finally came into force 4 years ago, almost all PTFE-based non-stick coatings on the market today are PFOA-free, even if this is not specifically stated.

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