Why does my well water turn purple when mixed with applesauce??

Question

I just moved into a new house with well water. It does have a water softener. When I added the water to a nearly empty jar of applesauce(sugar free)the water turned purple. I'm a little freaked out. I'm thinking it might be iron. (is that dangerous?) or hopefully not arsenic..I know that's danderous! I can't find out the answer online. I need someone with chemistry knowledge who can honestly answer this question. I imagine the chemical reaction was caused by the acidic nature of the applesauce.

Thank you so much!!

Answer 1

That's scary, but i have no idea

Answer 2

Iron ought to be removed by a water softener.  Maybe it's sulfur (as sulfide) does the water smell like sulfur?  Your local health department ought to be able to to test the water for you.

Answer 3

I could not really say, off the top of my head. But I would consider having the water tested before using it as drinking water. It sounds like it could have reasonably high levels of some salt or other that reacts with something in the apple sauce. It might be something safe, or it might not.

Someone from your local council should be able to tell you where you can get the water tested. They might already have an idea of what kinds of salts the ground water in your area contain and so be able to tell you if the water is safe to drink.

Answer 4

There is that potassium compound (not sure of the other element) that they use in school to show you convection  in water, maybe something to do with with potassium?

Answer 5

thats nassty i think its messed up

Answer 6

well based on what you hae observed..the vitamin C in the applesauce in the acid matrix  has reacted with manganese in your well water to produce the strongly purple permanganate ( MnO4-1) anion. There are other oxidants in the applesauce and all may have combined to oxidize Mn+2  to Mn+7