Manganese exposure in steel smelters a health hazard to the nervous system.
In a study of the effects of low-level exposure to manganese (0.19-1.39 mg/m3 for 1-45 years) 30 men (aged 20-64 years) from two steel smelting works and 60 unexposed referents (aged 22-65 years) were examined with the use of a general health inquiry, electroencephalography, event-related auditory evoked potentials, brain-stem auditory evoked potentials, diadochokinesometry, simple and complex reaction time, finger tapping, digit span, mental arithmetic, vocabulary, a coding task, manual dexterity, symptoms, and mood scales, the diagnostic interview scheme, a dynamic rating scale for neurasthenic syndrome, and a comprehensive psychopathological rating scale. No group differences were found in the electroencephalography or the psychiatric examinations. However, there were increased frequencies of some symptoms, the diadochokinesis was slower, the P-300 latency and reaction time were increased, and finger-tapping and digit-span performance were impaired in the exposed group. These effects were interpreted as early (subclinical) signs of disturbances of the same type as parkinsonism.
Department of Neuromedicine, National Institute of Occupational Health, Solna, Sweden.
A
A
Wennberg
A
A
Iregren
G
G
Struwe
G
G
Cizinsky
M
M
Hagman
L
L
Johansson
D000328:Adult; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020149:Manganese Poisoning; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests