Manganese and its compounds

Main Industries and Occupations at Risk

• Milling of manganese ore;
• Manufacture of dry-cell batteries (manganese dioxide);
• Iron and steel industry as a reagent to reduce sulphur and oxygen;
• Manganese electroplating;
• Manufacture of paints, varnishes, inks and dyes, fertilisers, feed additives, disinfectants and bleaching agents, glass and ceramics (decolouriser and colouring agent);
• Manufacture of matches and fireworks;
• Manufacture of potassium permanganate;
• Welding operations with manganese-coated rods;
• Water treatment;
• Exposure to fuel additive methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) and mangafodipir to increase octane level of gasoline and improve anti-knock properties of fuel.

Medical Examinations

Indications:

• Any exposure to manganese and its compounds

Types of Tests and Frequency of Examinations

• Pre-placement medical examination: within three months of exposure
  • Clinical examination shall include a detailed medical and work history with emphasis on:
    • i.  past, present and anticipated future exposure to manganese;
    • ii.  behavioural and neurological changes (speech and emotional disturbances, hypertonia, tremor, equilibrium, gait, handwriting and adiadochokinesis).
  • Test:
    • i.  Urine manganese (U-Mn) estimation on post-shift urine specimen collected at end of workweek, corrected to SG of 1.016.
  • Unfit for exposure to manganese:
    • i.  Persons diagnosed with Parkinsonism.
• Periodic medical examinations: every 12 months
  • Clinical examination with particular emphasis on the CNS;
    • Estimation of urinary manganese (U-Mn) estimation a post-shift urine specimen at collected end of workweek, corrected to SG of 1.016
    • BTLV for urinary manganese (U-Mn) = 50 mcg/L     Action level for U-Mn = 40 mcg/L