More than 1.3 MILLION Californians may be drinking water with chemical linked to Parkinson’s 

More than 1.3 million Californians may be drinking high levels of manganese, enough to cause cognitive disabilities in children and Parkinson’s-like symptoms in adults.

The discovery was made by researchers at the University of California – Riverside (UCR), who discovered the mineral is thriving in untreated wells throughout Central Valley. 

The study inspected private wells and public water systems – with nearly half of the affected residents living in disadvantaged communities – and found that almost 89 percent are likely to access water highly contaminated with manganese.

While manganese is found in water supplies worldwide, the US is one of the only nations not enforcing a maximum level.

The research comes as the University of Los Angeles may have uncovered a link between lithium in drinking water and autism. 

Samantha Ying, UCR soil scientist and principal study investigator, said in a statement: ‘It is a relatively small number of people, compared to the total population of the state, who are getting the tainted water. 

‘But for them, the health risks are high.’

Recent studies have found exposure to excessive levels of manganese may trigger Parkinson’s-like neurological symptoms as the mineral builds up in the basal ganglia area of the brain.

The team notes that residents could take matters into their own hands by purchasing treatment options that range from oxidation and precipitation filters to water softeners, chlorination, and reverse osmosis systems.

However, such devices for monitoring water quality can cost up to $400 annually. 

‘It is possible to purchase filters for manganese, but a lot of people cannot afford them. We are hoping people in these communities can be subsidized to buy treatment options,’ Ying said. 

The team chose to investigate Central Valley because it is recognized as one of the US’s most productive and economically important agricultural regions and home to one-third of domestic well users in the state.

‘These analyses demonstrate the need for additional well-monitoring programs that evaluate Mn and increased access to point-of-use treatment for domestic well users disproportionately burdened by associated costs of water treatment,’ reads the study published in Environmental Science & Technology.

Experts found that levels are high enough to cause cognitive disabilities in children and Parkinson’s-like symptoms in adults

The study regarding lithium in drinking water found pregnant women who drank water contaminated with the mineral had a moderately higher risk of their offspring being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Lead study author Beate Ritz said in a statement: ‘Any drinking water contaminants that may affect the developing human brain deserve intense scrutiny.

‘In the future, anthropogenic sources of lithium in water may become more widespread because of lithium battery use and disposal in landfills with the potential for groundwater contamination. The results of our study are based on high-quality Danish data but need to be replicated in other populations and areas of the world.’ 

Ritz worked with Danish researchers who analyzed lithium levels in 151 public waterworks in Denmark, about half of the country’s water supply.

The team pulled from a nationwide database to find which systems supplied to homes with pregnant mothers from 1997 through 2013 and then compared 12,799 diagnosed with autism against 63,681 children who did not have an autism diagnosis.

Results showed that autism diagnosis rose accordingly to higher lithium levels. 

‘Compared to the lowest quartile of recorded lithium levels – in other words, those in the 25th percentile – lithium levels in the second and third quartiles were associated with a 24 to 26 percent higher risk of autism, the team shared in a press release.

‘In the highest quartile, the risk was 46 percent higher compared to the lowest quartile.’