Baby Safety / Compounds / PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid)

Is PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid) safe for babies and kids?

High risk for kids

Not medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →

Infants accumulate PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid) through breast milk (bioconcentration), placental transfer, and dust ingestion. Persistent pollutants concentrate in fatty tissues with extended half-lives in developing organisms.

What is pfunda (perfluoroundecanoic acid)?

The IUPAC name is 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,11-henicosafluoroundecanoic acid.

Also known as: 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,11-henicosafluoroundecanoic acid, Perfluoroundecanoic acid, Henicosafluoroundecanoic acid, Perfluoro-n-undecanoic acid.

IUPAC name
2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,11-henicosafluoroundecanoic acid
CAS number
2058-94-8
Molecular formula
C11HF21O2
Molecular weight
564.09 g/mol
SMILES
C(=O)(C(C(C(C(C(C(C(C(C(C(F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)(F)F)O
PubChem CID
77222

Risk for babies

High risk

Infants accumulate PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid) through breast milk (bioconcentration), placental transfer, and dust ingestion. Persistent pollutants concentrate in fatty tissues with extended half-lives in developing organisms.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

High risk

PFUnDA crosses the placenta and is detectable in umbilical cord blood. Maternal PFUnDA exposure during pregnancy is associated with reduced birth weight, altered thyroid hormone concentrations in newborns (important for brain development), and modified fetal immune development. PFUnDA's very long half-life means that maternal body burden accumulated over years of dietary exposure (high-fish diets, seafood consumption) persists throughout and after pregnancy. Indigenous Arctic women who consume traditional diets high in marine mammals and fish have some of the highest PFUnDA serum concentrations documented globally, and their infants receive substantial PFUnDA exposure in utero and through breast milk. Dietary counseling for pregnant women in high-exposure communities should address PFAS-containing fish species alongside mercury concerns.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IARC2023Not evaluated by IARC

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter pfunda (perfluoroundecanoic acid)

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid):

  • Exposure reduction (environmental contaminant)
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is pfunda (perfluoroundecanoic acid) safe for kids?

Infants accumulate PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid) through breast milk (bioconcentration), placental transfer, and dust ingestion. Persistent pollutants concentrate in fatty tissues with extended half-lives in developing organisms.

What products contain pfunda (perfluoroundecanoic acid)?

PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid) appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

What should I do if my child is exposed to pfunda (perfluoroundecanoic acid)?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

See PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid) in the baby app

Look up products containing pfunda (perfluoroundecanoic acid), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (6)
  1. IARC Monographs Volume 135 (2023): Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) — PFOA classified Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans); PFOS Group 2B. NOTE: this PFAS was NOT among the agents individually evaluated in Volume 135. (2023) — regulatory
  2. ATSDR: Clinical Guidance for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances — Long-Chain PFAS Bioaccumulation, Half-Lives, Seafood Exposure Routes, and Minimum Risk Levels (2021) — regulatory
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls (PFAS class — covers PFUnDA C11 long-chain perfluorocarboxylate) (2021) — regulatory
  4. EPA PFAS Strategic Roadmap — Long-Chain PFCA Risk-Management Framework (2021) — regulatory
  5. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants — Long-Chain PFCA class (PFUnDA included via long-chain framework) (2019) — regulatory
  6. NIOSH PFAS Occupational Exposure Framework Supplementary (2022) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for medical, pediatric, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →