Kidney cancer cases spiked in this town. Will residents find out why?

After the largest ground water contamination in New Hampshire history, a state-commissioned study released this fall found significantly elevated rates of kidney cancer in the town of Merrimack.

Residents fear that toxic “forever chemicals” are to blame. But to pin down a cause, the researchers need millions in funding. With federal dollars in flux, it’s unclear whether the final phase of research will be completed, leaving residents in the dark and policies to address pollutants on the table.

The chemicals, PFAS, are widespread in drinking water and have been linked to a range of adverse health effects, including certain cancers. The study in Merrimack puts the community on the brink of a rare chance to tie PFAS contamination to a cancer cluster, confirming suspicions that are often impossible to prove due to the limitations of science.