North Carolina ground-water quality

Iron and Manganese in Groundwater: Using Kriging and GIS to Locate High Concentrations in Buncombe County, North Carolina

“…Fe and Mn contain similar chemical properties and are often found coexisting in bedrock (Klein and Hurlbut ). Additionally, due to similar chemical properties of Fe and Mn, Mn frequently substitutes for Fe in the chemical composition of rock, and as a result, Mn can be found frequently in Fe‐bearing rocks, as documented in other studies (e.g., Giese et al ; Merritts et al ; Drever ). Soluble forms of these two ions in groundwater are produced by the chemical weathering of geologic materials such as biotite mica, pyrite, amphibole, and clay minerals that contain Fe and Mn as part of their chemical makeup.…”

“…Polizzotto et al () noted high levels of Mn concentrations in the N.C. Piedmont area associated with bedrock weathering and groundwater redox conditions; however, they realized the need for geospatial analyses to better understand the causes of spatial variability in well water concentrations. Giese et al () related elevated concentrations of Fe and Mn in groundwater with crystalline aquifers of North Carolina. Specifically, evidence of high concentrations of Fe and Mn in groundwater in the crystalline aquifers of mountainous regions of western N.C. was documented by Campbell ().…”