Assessment of Manganese Contamination Caused by Construction of a Golf Course in an Agricultural Area

Manganese (Mn) is an essential microelement in humans for health, while excessive Mn intake through food causes many problems such as mental confusion, ataxia, impaired memory, and neurological problems. This study measured the Mn concentrations of surface water and paddy plants (Oryza sativa L.) to investigate the Mn contamination of an agricultural area adjacent to golf courses in Ilgwang, South Korea. Surface water samples were collected four times in March, May, July, and September 2021 at an interval of about 20 m from the start of the stream with a golf course effluent. The paddy plants were collected twice in July (root, shoot) and September (root, shoot, and grain) 2021 in four areas. The Mn concentration of surface water decreased from upstream (mean: 5181 μg/L) to downstream (mean: 357 μg/L), and the maximum Mn concentration (6757 μg/L) exceeded 50 μg/L (Maximum Contaminant Level, US EPA) by more than 120 times. The average Mn concentrations in paddy plants in May were 396±235 mg/kg and 869±400 mg/kg on root and shoot, respectively. High-level of Mn concentrations were found in Area 1 (root: 419±252 mg/kg, shoot: 1241±497 mg/kg) and Area 4 (root: 625±630 mg/kg, shoot: 1083±868 mg/kg) where surface water was directly irrigated. The average Mn concentrations in paddy plants in July were determined to be 797±339 mg/kg, 743±136 mg/kg, and 127±37 mg/kg on the root, shoot, and grain, respectively. The average Mn concentration in grains was more than 10 times higher than the USDA food standard (1-10 mg/kg). The results of this study show that Mn can be accumulated in high concentrations in paddy plants and provide the local government and decision-makers with an insight into irrigation water management in an agricultural area.

Acknowledgment: This research was supported by the MSIT (Ministry of Science, ICT), Korea, under the High-Potential Individuals Global Training Program) (RS-2022-00155315) supervised by the IITP (Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation