As a kind of emerging persistent organic pollutant (POPs), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts have caused global ecosystem pollution, and become a new research topic of POPs. Zoological tests indicated that PFOA can damage animal's liver, reproduction, development, immunity, and gene expression, etc. In a report of U. S. EPA's Science Advisory Board, PFOA is described as a "likely" carcinogen. The EPA has initiated a PFOA Stewardship Program to commit related industries to voluntarily reduce the contents of PFOA and its salts in their products to decrease the discharge of PEOA and its parent substances into the environment. The developed countries including European countries and the United States are also taking action to promote the risk assessment of PFOA and related substances, and to evaluate the availability of more secure alternative substances. In this paper, the research advances on the physicochemical properties, environmental sources, transportation and fate, and pollution trend of PFOA were briefly reviewed, and additional discussion was given to the priorities of future research on PFOA.