exothermic. The reaction with lithium aluminium hydride (LAH) results in an explosion. TFA is a metabolic breakdown product of the volatile anaesthetic agent halothane. It is thought to be responsible for halothane induced hepatitis. Environment TFA was claimed to occur naturally in sea water, but only in small concentrations at about 200 ng per liter. However, a review paper from 2021 concludes that there is insufficient evidence that TFA occurs naturally, especially without a reasonable mechanism of formation. In the environment, it is also formed, among other things, by photooxidation of the commonly used refrigerant 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a). Moreover, it is formed as an atmospheric degradation product of almost all fourth-generation synthetic refrigerants, also called hydrofluoroolefins (HFO), such as 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene. TFA is virtually non-degradable (persistent) in the environment. Median concentrations of a few micrograms per liter have been found in beer and tea. TFA is toxic to aquatic lifealthough it does not bioaccumulate, prevention of release into waterways is of extreme importance when using TFA. See also Fluoroacetic acidhighly toxic but naturally occurring rodenticide CH2FCOOH Difluoroacetic acid Trichloroacetic acid, the chlorinated analog References Perfluorocarboxylic acids Reagents for organic chemistry Organic compounds with 2 carbon atoms