Starting next year, people will be informed about the possibility of PFAS contamination before purchasing property in New Hampshire.

Governor Chris Sununu signed House Bill 398 on Wednesday to include PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — alongside radon and arsenic in the New Hampshire Common Contaminants Notification provided to homebuyers.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in consumer and industrial products. They have been linked to adverse health effects, including high cholesterol, weakened immune systems, reduced fertility, increased blood pressure in pregnant women, developmental disorders in children, and prostate, kidney and testicular cancer.

PFAS contamination has been detected throughout the state, but was particularly acute in southern New Hampshire, where hundreds of private wells were contaminated by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, a French manufacturer that recently discontinued his activities in Merrimack.

Rep. Wendy Thomas, a Democrat from Merrimack who sponsored the bill, told the Bulletin in June that she knew people who moved to her town and were unaware of the water contamination.

“To me, this is just criminal,” Thomas said, “because once again you are not allowing them to protect themselves.”

The release states that PFAS “have been detected in wells throughout New Hampshire at concentrations that exceed federal and/or state recommendations and standards,” particularly in the southern part of the state.

“By testing the water by an accredited laboratory, PFAS levels can be measured and the buyer can be given a basis for deciding whether the installation of water treatment systems is necessary,” the statement said.

Other PFAS bills passed by the legislature awaiting approval from the governor. One bill would restrict the sale of products intentionally added with the chemicals, and another would create liability for PFAS-producing facilities.