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Manganese
Manganese is found as oxides, carbonates and in other chemical forms in the soil and bedrock in
Prince Edward Island. Manganese has similar chemical properties to iron and, like iron, can be found in both the reduced and oxidized states
in groundwater.
Under normal conditions, manganese is only very slightly soluble in groundwater. However, in groundwater that is deficient in oxygen, manganese can be leached from Island soils and bedrock and occur in elevated concentrations in water.
It Effects
Manganese is an essential element in humans and animals and is regarded as one of the least toxic elements. Even at high concentrations, manganese in drinking water has not been shown to cause adverse health effects, and a health-based guideline for manganese has not been set.
At elevated concentrations, manganese can cause aesthetic concerns and an aesthetic objective has been set at 0.5 mg/L. Some effects of high manganese concentrations are discoloured water, unpleasant or metallic
taste, stains on plumbing fixtures and laundry, encrustation in water pipes, deposits on food during cooking and the promotion of the growth
of microorganisms in water pipes (such as manganese bacteria).
Manganese deposits can cause blackish, purplish or yellowish colour to appear and, in some cases, small
specks or substances can be seen floating in the water. The stains caused by manganese are more annoying and harder to remove than those
caused by iron.
Treatment
Manganese can be removed from water supplies by the same methods as iron. Insoluble manganese in the form of sediment or precipitates
may be removed from wells by any of the following methods.
- Heavy pumping for a minimum 12 hour period. If the situation improves, repeat.
- Lowering or raising the pump intake (foot valve) by at least 10 feet.
- Installing a sediment filter after the storage tank.
- Constructing or reconstructing a water well. This frequently involves adding more casing than normally required by regulation.
- Installing an ion exchange domestic water softener which will handle a combined iron and manganese concentration of up to 5.0 mg/L.
- Chemical treatment using oxidation, precipitation and filtration or ion exchange using a green sand filter are effective for removal of high concentrations.
- Constructing or reconstructing a water well.
Contact
Charlottetown
This information has been taken from www.gov.pe.ca