Toxicity of perfluorinated carboxylic acids for aquatic organisms

Toxicity of perfluorinated carboxylic acids with carbon chain C₈ to C₁₂ were tested with oligochaeta Tubifex tubifex. Toxicity was evaluated as the exposure time ET₅₀ from onset of damage of the oligochaeta in saturated aqueous solutions. The ET₅₀ fluctuated between 25 and 257 minutes. No statistically significant difference was found among the C₈, C₉ and C₁₂ acids (ET₅₀ between 143 and 257 minutes with large standard deviation). The acids with carbon chain C₁₀ and C₁₁ induced the effect significantly quicker (25 to 47 minutes). No acute toxicity measured in the three-minute test was observed in any case.