Mineral / ion
Manganese
Behaves similarly to iron but stains black rather than orange, and is harder to oxidise. Increasingly treated as a health parameter as well as an aesthetic one.
Key facts
- Chemical form
- Mn
- Typical range
- Should be below 50 µg/l in supply.
Where it comes from
Reducing groundwater and stratified reservoirs, and release from accumulated deposits in distribution mains.
Typical concentrations
Should be below 50 µg/l in supply.
What it does
- Black staining of laundry and fittings at concentrations well below health concern
- Deposits accumulate in mains over years and are released suddenly by flow changes
- WHO reinstated a health-based guideline value of 80 µg/l reflecting neurotoxicity evidence
Removal
Requires stronger oxidation than iron — permanganate, chlorine dioxide or catalytic media — followed by filtration.
Related intelligence
Sources
- World Health Organization — Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. Public but restricted · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
- British Geological Survey — Groundwater levels, aquifer mapping and baseline chemistry. Open — attribution required · Open Government Licence v3.0
- National Center for Biotechnology Information — PubChem chemical database. Open · US Government work — public domain