PFAS Testing Services

Per–and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, known by many acronyms (PFCs, PFOA, PFOS, and now collectively being referred to as PFASs) are present in many common commercial and household items, including nonstick kitchenware, fabrics, cosmetics, lotions and more. Studies have shown that exposure over certain levels may cause very serious health issues in humans.

Since you cannot see, taste, or smell PFAS, or many of the things that may contaminate your drinking water / affect your water quality, the only way to know if your well water is safe to drink is to have it tested by a certified laboratory.

Not everyone needs to test for PFAS. You should follow your state’s water testing guidelines, and only if you are near a contaminated site, or have a specific concern, you should test for those additional items as well. As always, ARA encourages everyone with a private well to test their water every few years as a rule of thumb, regardless of what’s going on in the news. (Watch this short video to see how easy it is to get your water tested).

Absolute Resource Associates of Portsmouth offers water analysis packages for PFAS (PFC/PFOA/PFOS) and many other harmful water contaminants such as lead, arsenic, nitrate/nitrite, bacteria and more.

ARA has partnered with a specialty laboratory to provide a PFAS water analysis package for the following 19 compounds, referred to as PFAS UL 19:

Perfluorobutanoic acid PFBA
Perfluoropentanoic acid PFPeA
Perfluorohexanoic acid PFHxA
Perfluoroheptanoic acid PFHpA
Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA
Perfluorononanoic acid PFNA
Perfluorodecanoic acid PFDA
Perfluoroundecanoic acid PFUnA
Perfluorododecanoic acid PFDoA
Perfluorotridecanoic acid PFTrDA
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid PFTeDA
Perfluorobutanesulfonate PFBS
Perfluorohexanesulfonate PFHxS
Perfluoroheptanesulfonate PFHpS
Perfluorooctanesulfonate PFOS
Perfluorodecanesulfonate PFDS
Perfluorooctanesulfonamide PFOSA
6:2 Fluorotelomersulfonate 6:2 FTS
8:2 Fluorotelomersulfonate 8:2 FTS

Please note: Sample integrity is of the utmost importance when collecting your PFAS samples. Please help avoid trace or cross contamination of PFAS by adhering to the following guidelines:

All sources of Teflon™ should be avoided during sample collection and storage.
Avoid use of personal products before sampling (cosmetics, moisturizers, deodorant, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. may contaminate your samples).
Avoid synthetic, waterproof, or stain resistant clothing/materials while sampling.
Thoroughly wash and dry hands before collecting samples.
Anyone within 2 meters of collection area should follow the above guidelines, or move out of the sampling area until completion.
Use gloves provided in sampling kit only.
Use bottles provided in sampling kit only. Samples must be collected in polypropylene or polyethylene (HDPE) bottles fitted w/ unlined (no Teflon™) polypropylene screw cap.
Fill bottle to neck and cap it.
Immediately place bottle(s) in ziplock bag or cooler with ice.
Chill, but do not freeze samples.
Do not use chemical (“blue”) ice packs to chill samples.
Ensure minimum exposure to light after collection.
Fill out chain of custody (COC) form, and drop it off with samples at the lab within 24 hrs.
Our lab is located at 124 Heritage Ave, #16, Portsmouth, NH. Phone: 877.320.7373

Many states are struggling with their own water quality issues, and NH is no different. From PFAS, arsenic and THMs in the water, to Pease, Saint Gobain and an unexplained “cancer cluster” on the NH seacoast, lately it seems that the news releases coming from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) office in Concord cannot keep up with the public’s thirst for information and reassurance that their drinking water quality and our environment are safe. Here are just a handful of hundreds of NH news stories related to water quality:

For more information on this topic, visit:

NHDES PFAS FAQs page (PFAS sampling protocol, reporting, monitoring & more): https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/documents/pfas-faq.pdf

USEPA Basic Information about PFASs: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-about-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfass

Testing for Pease: http://www.testingforpease.com/ is a Community Action Group providing info for residents concerned about contaminated drinking water and environmental contamination.

PFASs are a class of man-made chemicals which have been widely used to make products more stain-resistant, waterproof and/or nonstick, such as:

non-stick cookware
stain-resistant furniture, carpets, clothing
waterproof shoes, clothing, mattresses
non-stick food packaging
firefighting foam