Information about Manganese Exposure Lawsuit
Manganese Exposure May Cause Serious Mental and Physical Conditions
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has developed a list of leading work-related diseases and injuries in the United States, and included on that list is high levels of manganese exposure that can produce psychoses and suicidal tendencies, most commonly found in welders. Manganese exposure is especially dangerous because unlike other large outbreaks of neurotoxic disorders, manganese has a subtle and slow effect on the body. Chronic exposure to high levels of manganese can affect the central nervous system and is called manganism. Manganism has been linked to Parkinson's disease, the progressive impairment or deterioration of neurons in the brain area substantia nigra. Due to the similarity of this work hazard to non-occupational diseases, like Parkinson's Disease, manganese-exposure is often unidentified as a workplace disease. Physicians are also not trained to take a complete enough medical history to evaluate if medical disease or illness is present.
Recognizing Occupational Manganese Exposure
Chronic exposure to manganese can cause manganism and has been linked to Parkinson's Disease. Although it is difficult to recognize the dangers of manganese because of the subtle and slow symptoms it produces, it is workers should be aware of signs, especially if in the welding industry. Manganism, like Parkinson's, is a progressive movement disorder that is characterized by slow movement and tremors that can affect one side more than the other. A pattern of slowing motor functions, increased tremor, reduced response to speed, enhanced olfactory sense, possible memory and intellectual deficits, and mood changes can indicate the worker has manganese neurotoxicity present. If you are a welder and have been exposed to welding fumes testing is advised.
Manganese News
Air Manganese Content Prompts Closer Monitoring
March 15 , 2007
Prompted by unacceptably high levels of manganese and other dangerous substances in the air, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has added more monitors and increased testing to the Ohio River area.
The agency began measuring air emission levels at three new sites along both edges of the Ohio River during the week of February 25.
Residents Continue to Fight Steel Plant Pollution
February 8 , 2007
The dispute between a steel plant and nearby residents over continued emissions of manganese, lead, and other chemicals rages on despite a meeting yesterday designed to encourage cooperation between involved parties.
The city held the meeting to inform nearby residents of the dangers, and of what will be done, and to encourage communication between the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Pacific Steel Casting. It also aimed to get more input from the community.
N.J. Deals Faces Buried Toxin Problem
January 4, 2007
In the mid-1980s, residents of Gloucester County, New Jersey found out that the wells from which they drew their drinking water were contaminated with manganese, mercury, benzene, lead, chloroform, and other dangerous chemicals that were leaking from a nearby sanitary landfill that had been abandoned for years.
Residents were outraged and demanded to know how 30 of their homes came to be built next to a toxic dump. They still don’t have an answer 20 years later, and the Franklin Township landfill that troubles nearby residents still has not been cleaned up.
New Report Lists Brain-Damaging Substances
December 8 , 2006
FA report lists neurotoxic chemicals that are likely to be contributing to the long-noted rise in brain damage and other neurological dysfunctions occurring in children. Manganese, fluoride, and perchlorate were “three obvious candidate substances” for regulation.
The report, published in The Lancet, called for a change in the regulation of all the listed substances – more than 200.
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More About Manganese:
» About Manganese
Manganese is the twelfth most common element in the Earth's crust that is found in soil, water, plants, and animals, as well as air particles.
» Manganese and Parkinson's Disease
The Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pathology at the National Taiwan University Hospital found several cases of parkinsonism after there was an outbreak due to an unrepaired ventilation control system in a ferromanganese smelter.
» Manganese Work Exposure
Workers are chronically exposed to manganese everyday at high levels.
» Reducing Manganese-Exposure Risk
Manganese is a toxic chemical that should be handled with the utmost care when in the workplace.
Manganese Exposed Workers Performance Levels Inferior
A sample of 30 manganese exposed foundry workers were examined from two Swedish plants. Using a partly computerized psychological test battery, in ten performance tests the performance of manganese-exposed workers was compared to a matched control group of 60 workers. The criteria matched the age, geographical area, type of work, and the results on a test of verbal communication.
The test found that the performance of the manganese-exposed workers was inferior to the control group on tests of simple reaction time, digit span, and finger tapping. The performance and amount of present manganese exposure level, or the number of years workers were exposed to manganese did not have any correlations. The National Institute of Occupation Health, Solna, Sweden sample indicates the exposure standards in Sweden and in most other countries is insufficient in protecting workers from negative effects on performance capacity.
