CANADIAN LIGHT SOURCE - Manganese isn’t considered a major water contaminant in America, but a new study is taking a closer look at whether it should be.
A naturally occurring metal, manganese can be found in water supplies throughout the world. Over time, excessive ingestion of manganese can produce cognitive disabilities in children and symptoms similar to those associated with Parkinson’s Disease in adults.
The mineral has long been regulated as a primary contaminant in many Southeast Asian countries where the wet climate and monsoons cause manganese to leach into groundwater.
In the U.S., manganese is regulated as a secondary contaminant — meaning its standards are unenforceable and focus primarily on cosmetic issues — and public water supplies. University of California Riverside (UCR) scientists are asking whether this leaves private wells insufficiently guarded against exposure to manganese.