Statewide survey of shallow soil concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and related chemical and physical data across New Hampshire, 2021

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and related chemical and physical data are presented from 100 shallow soil sampling locations within the State of New Hampshire. Sites were randomly determined through an equal-area grid approach (Scott, 1990) targeting undisturbed areas, which included lands classified by the 2016 National Land Cover Database (Dewitz, 2019) as forested, shrubland, scrubland, grassland, herbaceous, wetlands, or barren land. Sampling sites were located at the closest point to the random location identified, where access and permission were available. To limit the potential for sampling results to be influenced by local releases of PFAS, a 500-meter buffer around parcels associated with known or potential PFAS sources was also included. At all 100 locations, samples were collected from 0 (land surface) to 6 inches in depth. At 50 locations, samples from 6 to 12 inches depth were collected, while at 6 of these locations soil profiles were collected in 6-inch increments to a maximum of 36 inches in depth. Soil horizons within the sampling intervals were described using the National Soil Survey Center Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils (Schoeneberger et al., 2012). Analyses included 36 PFAS compounds, 36 PFAS compounds post-total oxidizable precursor assay (TOPA), total organic carbon (TOC), moisture content, pH, and autoclaved-citrate extractable protein. Quality control samples included source-solution blanks, equipment blanks, and replicates.

References:

Dewitz, J., 2019, National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2016 Products (ver. 2.0, July 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P96HHBIE.

Schoeneberger, P.J., Wysocki, D.A., Benham, E.C., and Soil Survey Staff, 2012, Field book for describing and sampling soils, Version 3.0. Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, NE.

Scott, J.C., 1990, Computerized stratified random site-selection approaches for design of a ground-water-quality sampling network: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 90-4101, 109 p., http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri904101.