Is TFA included in a PFAS-free certification?

Yes. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, CAS 76-05-1) is part of the target panel of the flustix PFAS-FREE certification scheme, explicitly as an ultra-short-chain PFAS. Perfluoropropionic acid (PFPrA) and the modern replacement substance ADONA are included as well.

Why that is not a given

Many test panels cover the classic long-chain compounds, so PFOA, PFOS and their relatives. Ultra-short-chain PFAS with two or three carbon atoms slip through, even though they are precisely what fluorinated chemistry degrades into. The flustix panel deliberately goes beyond looking at legacy substances alone.

How testing works

For the individual target substances: a product meets the analytical requirement when they stay below the limit of quantification documented for the method, as a rule 10 to 25 ppb per substance or stricter. On top of that comes the fluorine sum parameter for the relevant product group. It is the two together that carry the statement, not either one alone. The full list of target substances is in Annex A of the certification scheme, the limits per product group are on the page about flustix PFAS-FREE.