Well Water Nerd

Radium (226 + 228) in New Hampshire well water

In New Hampshire, 3% of 132 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for radium (226 + 228) (5 pCi/L).

Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal in bedrock. It accumulates in bone and raises the risk of bone cancer. It occurs in the same granite areas as uranium and radon.

By county, from individual samples

Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (5 pCi/L); counties with at least 30 samples.

CountySamplesDetectedAbove EPA limitMedianHighest
Grafton3669%0%01.2 pCi/L

Sources

  • Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. radium (226 + 228) counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.