Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanic acid (PFMOBA)

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanic acid (PFMOBA) is a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. PFMOBA and other perfluorinated chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and they accumulate in people. Click here to read more about perfluorinated chemicals.

2017-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

states detected

utilities detected

153,000

people served

states over health guideline

utilities over health guideline

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for PFMOBA

Cancer

Harm to the immune system

Hormone disruption

Harm to fetal growth and child development

Harm to the liver

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 1 ppt

The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppt for PFMOBA was defined by EWG as based on studies by Phillipe Grandjean of Harvard University and many other independent researchers who found reduced effectiveness of vaccines and adverse impacts on mammary gland development from exposure to PFOA and PFOS, the two PFAS most widely detected in drinking water. This health guideline protects against applies to the entire class of PFAS detected in water.

ppt = parts per trillion

States reporting PFMOBA in drinking water

	UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served
North Carolina		1	153,202

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce PFMOBA

Utilities with the highest amounts of PFMOBA, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - Wilmington	Wilmington, NC	3 of 8	1.52 ppt	153,202

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - Wilmington	Wilmington, NC	3 of 8	1.52 ppt	153,202