Welding Rods Dangerous Side Effects: Manganese Information

Manganese is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Mn and atomic number 25

Manganese is a gray-white metal, resembling iron. It is a hard metal and is very brittle, fusible with difficulty, but easily oxidized. Manganese metal is ferromagnetic only after special treatment.

Manganese in excess is toxic. Exposure to manganese dusts and fumes should not exceed the ceiling value of 5 mg/ml for even short periods because of its toxicity level.

Manganese is essential to iron and steel production by virtue of its sulfur-fixing, deoxidizing, and alloying properties. Steelmaking, including its ironmaking component, has accounted for most manganese demand, presently in the range of 85% to 90% of the total demand. Among a variety of other uses, manganese is a key component of low-cost stainless steel formulations and certain widely used aluminium alloys. It is also added to gasoline in order to reduce engine knocking. Manganese(IV) oxide (manganese dioxide) is used in the original type of dry cell battery. Manganese dioxide is also used as a catalyst. Manganese is used to decolorize glass (removing the greenish tinge that presence of iron produces) and, in higher concentration, make violet-colored glass. Manganese oxide is a brown pigment that can be used to make paint and is a component of natural umber. Potassium permanganate is a potent oxidizer and used in chemistry and in medicine as disinfectant agent.

The overall level and nature of manganese use in the United States is expected to remain about the same in the near term. No practical technologies exist for replacing manganese with other materials or for using domestic deposits or other accumulations to reduce the complete dependence of the United States on other countries for manganese ore.

Acidic permanganate solutions will oxidize any organic material they come into contact with. The oxidation process can generate enough heat to ignite some organic substances.

In 2005, a study found a link between manganese inhalation and central nervous system toxicity in rats. It is hypothesized that long-term exposure to the natually-occurring manganese in shower water puts up to 8.7 million Americans at risk.

A form of Parkinson's Disease-type neurodegeneration called "manganism" has been linked to manganese exposure since the early 19th Century. Allegations of inhalation-induced manganism have been made regarding the welding industry. Listed on the Hazardous Substance List, manganese is regulated by OSHA due to its high level of toxicity.

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