ABSTRACT
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) is a seven-carbon per- polyfluoro alkyl substance (PFAS) that has been used in aqueous film-forming foam formulations and has been detected in groundwater at contaminated sites. Very few toxicity studies for PFHpA were located in the literature search; for those identified, toxicity information was available for mammals, birds, and amphibians. The only mammalian study that determined adverse effects of PFHpA revealed that death was associated with severe ulcerative dermatitis when dermally exposed to 1,000 mg/kg/d for two weeks, and renal tubular necrosis, hepatocellular necrosis, and germ cell degeneration in rats at 250 mg/kg/d. The amphibian LC50 was determined to be 942.4 µM in the African clawed frog Xenopus, and PFHpA was identified as a potential teratogen and developmental toxicant, although the doses at which these effects were observed were not reported. No adverse effects were observed in adult or juvenile Northern Bobwhite from hens exposed to PFHpA in drinking water over a 90-day exposure period at doses as high as 20 ng/mL.
