| Industry | Application |
| Aviation and aerospace | Hydraulic fluid additives to prevent evaporation, fires, and corrosion |
| Automotive | Surface treatment for textiles, upholsteries, carpets, leather, and exterior surfaces |
| Pesticides | Active ingredients such as short-chain sulfonamides in plant growth regulators and herbicides |
| Building and construction | Additives in paints, coatings, and surface treatments |
| Cosmetics | Cosmetics, shampoos, nail polish, eye makeup, denture cleaners |
| Electronics | Flame retardants for polycarbonate resin |
| Safety/firefighting | Coatings and materials used as water repellents and some Class B foam, vapor suppression for flammable liquids |
| Mining | Instances of surfactants used in ore mining flotation |
| Paper and packaging | Phosphate ester salts |
| Photolithography & semiconductor | Photolithography (such as using PFOS) in manufacture of semiconductor chips |
| Textiles, leather, and apparel | PFOA-based chromium treatment for paper and leather. Non-polymer coatings used to treat textiles to provide oil- and water-repellent and stain release finishes |