Toxicological Profile For Manganese And Compounds

On cover: IPCS International Programme on Chemical Safety. Published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization, and produced within the framework of the Inter-organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC)

A concise assessment of the risks to human health posed by exposure to manganese and its compounds. Manganese is an essential element found in rock, soil, water, and food. While food is the most important source of exposure for the general population, significant exposure can also occur via the consumption of contaminated drinking water. Anthropogenic sources of exposure arise from the use of manganese ore in the production of steel and dry cell batteries, in pesticides, and in the ceramics and glass manufacturing industries. Workers in these settings may be exposed to higher levels via inhalation of manganese dusts. Other groups at risk of higher exposures include infants given prepared infant foods and formulas, and people living in the vicinity of ferro-manganese or iron and steel manufacturing facilities, coal-fired power plants, or hazardous waste sites.