PFNA in Maine well water
In Maine, 2% of 3,566 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for PFNA (10 ng/L).
PFNA is a long-chain forever chemical found near industrial sites and firefighting foam. It is linked to immune and developmental effects and high cholesterol. New Hampshire set its own limit in 2019.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (10 ng/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | 580 | 41% | 7% | 0 | 1,830 ng/L |
| Kennebec | 450 | 21% | 4% | 0 | 220 ng/L |
| Waldo | 401 | 13% | 3% | 0 | 1,580 ng/L |
| Lincoln | 110 | 24% | <1% | 0 | 21.2 ng/L |
| Penobscot | 294 | 12% | <1% | 0 | 158 ng/L |
| York | 385 | 6% | <1% | 0 | 11.6 ng/L |
| Washington | 36 | 17% | 0% | 0 | 3.4 ng/L |
| Knox | 36 | 11% | 0% | 0 | 1.95 ng/L |
| Hancock | 58 | 10% | 0% | 0 | 2.4 ng/L |
| Aroostook | 113 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 2.51 ng/L |
| Cumberland | 573 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 7.69 ng/L |
| Piscataquis | 30 | 7% | 0% | 0 | 0.508 ng/L |
| Oxford | 72 | 4% | 0% | 0 | 0.905 ng/L |
| Androscoggin | 214 | 4% | 0% | 0 | 2.85 ng/L |
| Sagadahoc | 170 | 2% | 0% | 0 | 0.826 ng/L |
- Sidney, Kennebec County16% of 43
- Chelsea, Kennebec County11% of 46
- Benton, Kennebec County9% of 56
- Fairfield, Somerset County7% of 471
- Jackson, Waldo County6% of 31
- Knox, Waldo County5% of 58
- Skowhegan, Somerset County3% of 31
- Unity, Waldo County2% of 89
- Albion, Kennebec County2% of 118
- Buxton, York County2% of 60
- Damariscotta, Lincoln County0% of 35
- Brewer, Penobscot County0% of 33
- Cumberland, Cumberland County0% of 31
- Windham, Cumberland County0% of 40
- Vassalboro, Kennebec County0% of 34
- Gorham, Cumberland County0% of 79
- Corinna, Penobscot County0% of 44
- Falmouth, Cumberland County0% of 72
- Pownal, Cumberland County0% of 52
- Wells, York County0% of 63
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. PFNA counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.