Inhalation of an essential metal: Development of reference exposure levels for manganese

• Published in: Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology Vol. 57; no. 2-3; pp. 195 - 199
• Main Authors: Winder, Bruce S., Salmon, Andrew G., Marty, Melanie A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.07.2010
• Subjects: Air borne; Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis; Air Pollutants, Occupational - toxicity; Belgium; Benchmarking; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Inhalation; Inhalation Exposure - adverse effects; Inhalation Exposure - analysis; Manganese; Manganese Compounds - analysis; Neurotoxicity Syndromes - epidemiology; Neurotoxicity Syndromes - etiology; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Oxides - analysis; Oxides - toxicity; Particle Size; Reference exposure levels; RELs; Threshold Limit Values; Toxicity; Workplace - standards; Belgium; USA, California; Air borne; Reference exposure levels; RELs; Toxicity; Manganese; Inhalation
• ISSN: 0273-2300; 1096-0295
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2010.02.007

Exposures to high levels of manganese by ingestion or inhalation can damage the central nervous system. However, the capacity of environmental manganese to cause neurotoxicity is of most concern following inhalation exposure. Reference exposure levels (RELs) are values developed by California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to protect the general public from periodic and continual exposures to airborne toxicants. The recently revised guidelines for the development of noncancer RELs encourage the use of benchmark dose methodology where appropriate, and explicitly address the potential susceptibilities associated with early-life exposures (OEHHA, 2008). This paper describes the application of those guidelines to the derivation of RELs to protect the general public from routine 8h and chronic exposures to airborne manganese. The data were amenable to benchmark analysis and the RELs derived reflect the mounting evidence that children represent a population that is differentially susceptible to manganese toxicity.