Kerang (Victoria) Manganese
2024/25: Kerang (Victoria) Manganese 0.18ug/L
“Based on health considerations, the concentration of manganese in drinking water should not exceed 0.1 mg/L
Based on aesthetic considerations, the concentration of manganese in drinking water should not exceed 0.05 mg/L, measured at the customer’s tap. Water authorities are encouraged to keep manganese concentrations as low as possible, preferably below 0.02 mg/L at the treatment plant…
Reviews by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Canada found that several human epidemiological studies suggest an association between exposure to manganese in drinking water and neurological effects (e.g. intellectual impairment and poorer neurobehavioural function, including memory, attention, motor function and hyperactivity). Although these epidemiological studies could not establish the level at which oral manganese intake can lead to neurotoxic effects, collectively they provide support that neurotoxicity is a critical effect in humans (WHO 2021; WHO 2022; Health Canada 2019).
Infants, especially newborns, are unable to regulate the levels of manganese in their bodies due to greater gastrointestinal absorption and immaturity of their homeostatic control of bile excretion (i.e. they excrete less manganese) and are more susceptible than other age groups to the neurotoxic effects of excess manganese (WHO 2021; WHO 2022; Health Canada 2019).
Bottle-fed infants may also be at risk of higher manganese exposure due to infant formula which can be fortified with manganese, along with drinking water used to reconstitute the formula which can have elevated manganese levels compared to bottled water (WHO 2021; WHO 2022; Health Canada 2019). ADWG