Manganese Exposure

Manganese is a chemical element, meaning it is one of eighty substances that form the basic building blocks of all matter.  It can be found on the periodic table as element number 25 right next to iron (Fe).  It has the symbol Mn.  It is used to form many important alloys (combinations of metals) in creating products in the steelmaking industry for construction, machinery, transportation.

This commercially important metal is gray-white, resembling iron, but is harder and very brittle.  It is reactive chemically, and decomposes in cold water slowly. Manganese is widely distributed throughout the animal kingdom.  It is an important trace element for life and may be essential for utilization of vitamin B.  While it is useful in trace amounts in the diet, it is very toxic when one is exposed to it in a workplace situation such as inhaling fumes and dust. 

In analytical chemistry, a trace element is an element in a sample that has an average concentration of less than 100 parts per million atoms, or less than 100 micrograms (millionths of a gram) per full gram.  However, in biochemistry, a trace element is generally defined as a chemical element that is needed in minute quantities for the proper growth, development, and physiology of the organism.  In biochemistry, a trace element is also referred to as a micronutrient.

Manganese is present in quantity on the floor of oceans.  It is an important component of steel.  Manganese found in commercial welding rods and other welding consumables, such as certain types of wire, is toxic.  Exposure to manganese can cause Parkinson's disease or symptoms very similar to that of Parkinson's disease.  The process of heating and cutting welding rods that contain manganese can release fumes and dust into the air.  These fumes are invisible and may not have an odor.  A prolonged exposure to the inhalation of high levels of manganese fumes can cause injury to the brain, which in the past has been called manganism.  Industrial exposure to manganese is mostly seen among manganese miners and welders.

• Manganism and Parkinson’s Disease
• What Should You Do?
• Are My Parkinson Symptoms Related to Manganese?
• What Are My Legal Options?

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Also see our page on signs and symptoms of disease.

Financial Assistance

If you have questions about financial assistance, see our web page on that topic.  While this information is written for cancer patients, much of the information is helpful for patients of any kind.

Legal Assistance

Paul & Hanley, LLP is one of the top legal firms handling toxic exposure cases.  Paul & Hanley has offices located throughout California, including Berkeley, Los Angeles, Westlake Village (Los Angeles county), San Francisco, and San Diego.

Our toxic torts attorneys handle manganese exposure cases in courts throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, and across the United States.  Our in depth experience also covers malignant mesothelioma cancer caused by asbestos and other toxic exposures such as beryllium.

We are proud that we act as effective legal advocates for victims and families forced to face this terrible disease.  Having handled many cases over the years we have learned that it is only when negligence, and recklessness becomes expensive that corporations discovers an incentive to make the world a safer place.  This is certainly true with manganese exposure.  We practice law with honesty, integrity, care, and compassion, and understand that behind every case is a real mesothelioma victim and family, who have questions and concerns about an uncertain future.  For further information please contact us today.  For immediate assistance call us toll free at (800) 933-2244 for a free confidential consultation.