In prolonged exposure, however, at concentrations several thousands of times greater than these levels, TFA inhibits plant growth and development. An overall environmental risk assessment has been conducted on the basis of the data generated by the studies. A summary is provided below. The results of the risk assessment and several review articles are published in the peer-reviewed literature. Trifluoroacetic acid is a strong organic acid with a pKa of 0.23.
Industrial use is limited and environmental releases are very low.
As these substances have only been produced in limited commercial quantities, their contribution to environmental levels has been minimal. Generally, soil retention of TFA is poor although soils with high levels of organic matter have been shown to have a greater affinity for TFA when contrasted to soils with low levels of organic matter. This appears to be an adsorption phenomenon, not irreversible binding. Therefore, TFA will not be retained in soil, but will ultimately enter the aqueous compartment. TFA is resistant to both oxidative and reductive degradation.