arte Journal

Ich kann mich nicht daran erinnern, dass Longyearbyen schon mal im arte journal Thema war. Es ging um die Belastung mit Mangan im Trinkwasser, was allerdings ein uraltes Thema ist. Hier ein Artikel dazu von „Longyearbyen,lokalstyre“, 22.02.2025.

Informasjon om mangan i drikkevannet

Information about manganese in drinking water

On Thursday, LL informed the local council meeting about both manganese and legionella in the water. We also posted a summary on our website.

There is a need for some clarifications in the information, and facts that may clear up misunderstandings. We understand that some residents may be concerned, so we would like to reassure you once again that we are in close dialogue with both Longyearbyen Hospital, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health regarding both manganese and legionella.

There have been high measurements of manganese in the drinking water at certain locations in the city at times. We now have ten different locations where we regularly take water samples.

When we take water samples to check for manganese, an average of the measurements is calculated. The results we now have are an average measured from 2020 to 2024.

The reason we provide average measurements and not individual values is that only long-term intake, and then with much higher values, can be harmful to health.

Chief Physician at Longyearbyen Hospital, Ole Tveiten, confirms this:

“Manganese is generally not very toxic, and acute poisoning can practically be disregarded. A possible connection has been found with fatigue and sleep disorders in people after consuming drinking water with 28,000 µg/l, i.e., over 50 times the highest measured concentration in LYR, but this is highly uncertain. The health effects of too much manganese are related to large intake of drinking water with high concentrations over a long period, at least several years. It is of course necessary to take measures to come under the maximum requirements for content in drinking water according to the drinking water regulations, but no acute measures or recommendations are necessary at these levels.” (Ole Tveiten, Longyearbyen Hospital)

The results from the latest water samples will be published on our website in week 9.

More information about previous and ongoing measures can also be found on our website.

Facts about manganese in Longyearbyen

Manganese is an essential trace element that we need to get from food and drink, and it is crucial for several processes in the human body. The lasting health effect of manganese is related to the total intake from food and water over time. The water in the drinking water network in Longyearbyen does not have such high concentrations of manganese that it can result in health damage.