No abstract

Changes in domestic water supply appearance and quality linked with increasing manganese amount and iron at a lesser degree, having been found by the inhabitants of Beaucaire (Rhône Valley), a study was made by chemists, hydrogeologists and biologists to detect the origin. The problem is not specific to this town and can frequently be found in the Saône and Rhône valleys. The results show that we have to deal with an aquifer with semi-captive groundwater whose supply is double: the Rhône and calcareous mountain masses. The low-oxygen waters are enriched, by dissolution from gravel, with manganese and iron which are preferentially fixed on porous and cracked surface elements. The conditions for manganese liberation are connected with the presence of organic matters, bacteria (capable to reduce the manganic compounds) and anaerobiosis. The supply does not seem to be the only cause in the low-oxygen contents; the action of heterotrophic microorganism using organic matter and consuming oxygen, at the groundwater periphery, must be taken into account. Thus the central part of the groundwater system is a reducing environment which allows the modification of the bacterial metabolism towards a ferric and manganic compounds reduction process. The result is the transformation of insoluble manganic and ferric compounds into manganous and ferrous compounds which are liberated into the groundwater.

L'origine et le mécanisme de l'augmentation de la concentration en manganèse dans l'eau de la nappe phréatique de Beaucaire ont été recherchés afin d'orienter le choix d'un procédé de démanganisation adapté aux conditions du site. L'aquifère est caractérisé par son déficit en oxygène et par la présence de dépôts d'oxyde de manganèse (Mn(IV)) sur les sédiments. Dans ces conditions la microflore utilise les oxydes de manganèse conne accepteur final d'électrons (démontré dans les expériences in vitro) et le manganèse réduit passe alors en solution. Lors des essais d'application du procédé Vyredox le potentiel d'oxydoréduction de la nappe augmente et la concentration en manganèse dissous diminue. Rien n'indique une précipitation du manganèse et donc un colmatage à la périphérie de la partie oxygénée de la nappe.