Public Health Laboratories

The mission of the Public Health Laboratories (PHL) is to protect the public's health in NH through responsive, unbiased, quality laboratory testing; to actively participate in national and international surveillance networks; and to improve the quality of health and laboratory services in both the public and private sector.

For an overview of our services, please visit the NH Public Health Laboratories YouTube video.

For an overview on how NH PHL helps to ensure health and safety of NH citizens, please visit the How the New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories Ensures Your Health and Safety webpage.

For an overview of how to ensure your drinking water is safe, and for instructions to submit drinking water samples to NH PHL, please visit the What’s in Your Water: Steps to Ensure Your Drinking Water Is Safe webpage.

Please complete our Customer Satisfaction Survey to aid us in improving our services – the survey can be found on the webpage: PHL Satisfaction Survey

NH PHL fulfills its mission through the following core functions:

• Laboratory Response for Critical Incidents

  • Disease outbreaks
  • Newly emergent diseases
  • Product contamination and/or tampering
  • Emergency laboratory response for chemical, microbiological, and radiological incidents
  • Investigations of environmental exposures to known and emergent chemical contaminants
  • Terrorism response

• Laboratory Analysis for Food Safety Assurance

  • Microbiological testing of dairy products, shellfish and growing waters, and other food products
  • Food testing required for Homestead Licensing
  • Paralytic shellfish poison (Red Tide) testing
  • Toxic elements testing in food products

• Laboratory Services for Infectious Disease Control

  • COVID-19, Influenza and other respiratory disease testing 
  • HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Disease testing
  • Vaccine Preventable Disease testing
  • Arboviral disease testing and laboratory surveillance 
  • Rabies testing
  • Bacterial and Mycobacterial infection including Tuberculosis 
  • Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (AST)
  • Foodborne bacterial disease and norovirus testing 

• Laboratory Response for Water Quality Testing and Emergency Response

  • State’s Principal Laboratory for drinking water testing
  • Well water testing for homeowners
  • Water quality testing for beaches, lakes, rivers, and shellfish growing areas
  • Radiological environmental monitoring and emergency response
  • Pesticide and herbicide testing supporting the Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, Division of Pesticide Control

• Quality Assurance Leadership

  • Ensure quality laboratory testing by adhering to TNI, CLIA, ISO, FDA, FSAP, LRN regulations
  • Sustain continuous quality improvement on lab operations and work environment
  • Promote safety practices for laboratory staff
  • Provide training, internships, and technology transfer for laboratorians
  • Present laboratory tours, demonstrations, science fairs and lectures