Excessive intake of manganese can damage the nervous system of the human body. In August 2009, the manganese content of the drinking water source in Yancheng exceeded the national standard of drinking water source, which influenced the daily life of the local residents. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors leading to the manganese content of river water in Yancheng exceeding the national standard. To the data, the manganese content of surface water in Yancheng already met the national standard of drinking water source in September 2009, but the manganese content of river sediment was relatively high, especially in Mangshe River and Tongyu River. It was worthwhile to note that the soluble manganese content of the sediment in Mangshe River was even as high as 270 mg kg(-1), which suggested that the release of manganese from the sediment was the major cause of the pollution. The manganese content of the soil near the rivers was also determined, and the results indicated that the wastewater and waste slag discharged by the stainless steel factories nearby were the main pollution sources of manganese. Furthermore, the environmental factors affecting the release of manganese from the sediment were also investigated. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.