PFOA in New Hampshire well water
In New Hampshire, 61% of 6,090 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for PFOA (4 ng/L).
PFOA is a forever chemical from firefighting foam, industrial discharge and consumer products. It builds up in the body and is linked to kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, immune effects and low birth weight.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (4 ng/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham | 2,124 | 89% | 66% | 7.1 | 130 ng/L |
| Hillsborough | 3,781 | 96% | 61% | 5.8 | 200 ng/L |
| Strafford | 157 | 54% | 13% | 0.37 | 19 ng/L |
- Hudson, Hillsborough County85% of 46
- Londonderry, Rockingham County83% of 1,522
- Bedford, Hillsborough County62% of 3,040
- Litchfield, Hillsborough County61% of 472
- Merrimack, Hillsborough County50% of 204
- North Hampton, Rockingham County28% of 43
- Exeter, Rockingham County23% of 65
- Hampton, Rockingham County23% of 39
- Greenland, Rockingham County21% of 150
- Stratham, Rockingham County20% of 276
- Dover, Strafford County14% of 63
- Madbury, Strafford County14% of 88
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. PFOA counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.