Manganese Poisoning, Manganism, Parkinsonism, Wilson's Disease,
and Parkinson's Disease
Foote, Meyers, Mielke & Flowers LLC
877-221-2511
Manganese is an essential element
to the human body but when exposed to high levels of manganese,
the effects it can have are serious. The high toxicity of manganese
has been well known for a long time from the numerous studies
performed on miners,
steelworkers, and other occupations working with a high
level of manganese exposure.
While high levels of manganese exposure is linked to manganese
poisoning, manganism, parkinsonism, Wilson's disease,
and Parkinson's disease, the health problems caused by lower
levels of manganese poisoning is not as well known due to
the more subtle signs. The slow effect manganese exposure
has on the human body is very serious, affecting a high number
of workers and communities.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MANGANESE HEALTH RISKS,
CLICK THE LINK BELOW
click here ›
Manganese
Health Risks ‹
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Manganese Workplace Dangers
Workers
in the mining, welding, and factory environment are at
the highest risk for manganese exposure.  Miners
that work with manganese are surrounded by manganese dust
and airborne manganese particles. The EPA thinks that the
highest risk workers for becoming affected by manganese exposure
are factory workers that produce manganese ore or manganese
compounds are turned into steel.
The towns and communities surrounding the areas of manganese
heavy industry can also become affected by exposure to manganese.
Many workplace
control and practices are violated in industries with
high risk for manganese poisoning, gravely affecting the lives
of workers and potentially their families.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIGH RISK MANGANESE
OCCUPATIONS, CLICK THE LINK BELOW
click here › High
Risk Manganese Occupations ‹
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Manganese Workplace Dangers Cited
Most people assume when they fill up a glass of water it
is
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Exposure to manganese can
go for years without detection due to the slow
and subtle recognizable effect it has on the body.
To learn more about Manganese
Health Risks, click the link:
MANGANESE
HEALTH RISKS
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safe to drink. However, water can contain many contaminants
unseen  by
the human eye. Currently, more than half a dozen workers have
complained about non-enforced safety procedures at the Passaic
Valley Water Commission in New Jersey, illustrating the potential
dangers of omitting health precautions when working directly
with toxins such as manganese. In 2001, state inspections as
a response to worker complaints, cited the Passaic Valley Water
for failing to provide adequate
protective equipment to its workers and not keeping the
proper record of safety equipment and training.
The dangers of being exposed to manganese are especially
great because side effects may take years to appear. Workers
are at the highest risk for manganese exposure because of
the direct contact made for extended amounts of time, many
times not always adequately protected and within poorly ventilated
working areas.
Inspectors from the state Public Employees Occupational Safety
and Health program visited the water plant in April 2001 after
an insider employee complaint was made. The report indicated
there were 55 safety violations. The safety violations included
failing to give employees proper training or equipment to
monitor their working environment, failing to keep proper
records for their safety equipment, and failing to provide
adequate
protective equipment at all.
Manganese Information
All humans contain a low level of manganese in their bodies,
but when exposed to a high level of manganese the results
can be toxic. Most instances of manganese
poisoning affect workers that mine and refine ore because
of the prolonged exposure to manganese.  Linked
to serious conditions resembling parkinsonism
or Wilson's disease, manganese exposure is detrimental
to the health of workers and communities.
Manganese appears as a reddish-gray, metallic element. The
toxicity of manganese in the human body interferes with dietary
iron absorption, thus leading to anemia in some instances.
When manganese is breathed in it can greatly affect humans,
causing permanent brain damage with repeated exposure, lung
problems, and kidney and liver damage. OSHA has listed manganese
on the hazardous substance list because of the serious risks
it poses.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MANGANESE AND MANGANISM,
CLICK THE LINK BELOW
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Manganism
Information ‹
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Manganese Study Finds Earlier Onset
of Parkinson's Disease
A study performed by the University of California Santa Cruz
environmental toxicology department in 2000 concluded that
manganese exposure causes symptoms
of Parkinson's disease to appear much earlier.  The
manganese study examined four groups of rats with one group
containing a condition similar to humans that have not yet
developed Parkinson's symptoms and another group that had
been exposed to higher levels of manganese. The third group
had both the manganese exposure along with the pre-Parkinson's
disease conditions.
The group of rats with pre-Parkinson's disease performed
significantly worse on several tests after being exposed to
manganese. Parkinson's disease and toxic levels of manganese
affected different areas of the brain resulting in damage
to one area worse than what it would have been otherwise.
Researchers performed the manganese study in response to proposals
in 2000 to add manganese to gasoline, which would thus increase
the level of manganese exposure in the environment.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PARKINSONS AND MANGANESE,
CLICK THE LINK BELOW
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Parkinsons
and Manganese ‹
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