More than 1.3 MILLION Californians may be drinking water with chemical linked to Parkinson's

More than 1.3 million Californians may be drinking high levels of manganese, enough to cause cognitive disabilities in children and Parkinson's-like symptoms in adults. The discovery was made by researchers at the University of California - Riverside (UCR), who discovered the mineral is thriving in untreated wells throughout Central Valley. The study found private wells and public water systems, with nearly half of the affected residents living in disadvantaged communities - almost 89 percent are likely to access water highly contaminated with manganese. While manganese is found in water supplies worldwide, the US is one of the only nations not enforcing a maximum level. The research comes as the University of Los Angeles may have uncovered a link between lithium in drinking water and autism.