The Pfabulous Water with the Pfunny Brownish Tint

Posted on November 6, 2008
Filed Under Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Work |

Manganese atom

The talk of the campus this week seems to center around an issue with our water supply, and in particular, its peculiar brownish tint…

Furthering the speculation, conspiracy theories, and boycotting of said water, was a memo advising that we’d somehow picked up a touch of extra Manganese from source water, and that there was nothing to worry about short of discolored clothing should one use the water for laundry.

Further, the memo advised work was being done to remove the excess Manganese, and clear things up so to speak. There are no health implications, so no worries, etc. etc.

Well, some enterprising jokester(s) took the brown water, and ran with it. These little notices, and others like them were recently spotted over every drinking fountain, and on every restroom door in my building:

FIGHT DEATH!

FIGHT DEATH!

Evidently, these signs, which encourage us to FIGHT DEATH! were inspired by notices/apologies for the funny colored water installed on various water sources by food services personnel in some of the dining facilities on campus.

As for the lack of health implications. Well, not so fast there, folks! The Center for Disease Control’s Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry publishes a ToxFAQ for Manganese stating that while Manganese is valuable as a mineral supplement in small quantities, excessive exposure can do funny things to the nervous system:

These health effects include behavioral changes and other nervous system effects, which include movements that may become slow and clumsy. This combination of symptoms when sufficiently severe is referred to as “manganism”.

Of course, these kinds of symptoms depend on several factors, including the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.

Chugging liters of funny colored water may not actually cause slow and clumsy movements, or spontaneous bouts of the manganism mambo, but most folks are instinctively avoiding this water with the “brownish tint” anyway, so I don’t think I’ll reporting on such activities any time soon.

Good times!

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