While trifluoroacetic acid has limited technical uses, the highly water-soluble trifluoroacetate (TFA) is reported to be present in water bodies at low concentrations. Most of the TFA in the environment is discussed to arise from natural processes, but also with the contribution from decomposition of environmental chemicals. The presence of TFA may result in human exposures. For hazard and risk assessment, the mammalian toxicity of TFA and human exposures are reviewed to assess the margin of exposures (MoE). The potential of TFA to induce acute toxicity is very low and oral repeated dose studies in rats have identified the liver as the target organ with mild liver hypertrophy as the lead effect. Biomarker analyses indicate that TFA is a weak peroxisome proliferator in rats. TFA administered to rats did not induce adverse effects in an extended one-generation study and in a developmental toxicity study or induce genotoxic responses. Based on recent levels of TFA in water and diet, MoEs for human exposures to TFA are well above 100 and do not indicate health risks.
Keywords: Environmental exposures; Human safety; Margin of exposure; Trifluoracetic acid; Trifluoroacetate.
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