Olfactory tract/bulb metal concentration in Manganese-exposed mineworkers.

Document Type

Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient as well as a well-established neurotoxicant. Occupational and environmental exposures may bypass homeostatic regulation and lead to increased systemic Mn levels. Translocation of ultrafine ambient airborne particles via nasal neuronal pathway to olfactory bulb and tract may be an important pathway by which Mn enters the central nervous system.

OBJECTIVE: To measure olfactory tract/bulb tissue metal concentrations in Mn-exposed and non-exposed mineworkers.

METHODS: Using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), we measured and compared tissue metal concentrations in unilateral olfactory tracts/bulbs of 24 Mn-exposed and 17 non-exposed South African mineworkers. We used linear regression to investigate the association between cumulative Mn exposures and olfactory tract/bulb Mn concentration.

RESULTS: The difference in mean olfactory tract/bulb Mn concentrations between Mn-exposed and non-Mn exposed mineworkers was 0.16 µg/g (95% CI -0.11, 0.42); but decreased to 0.09 µg/g (95% CI 0.004, 0.18) after exclusion of one influential observation. Olfactory tract/bulb metal concentration and cumulative Mn exposure suggested there may be a positive association; for each mg Mn/m

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that Mn-exposed mineworkers might have higher olfactory tract/bulb tissue Mn concentrations than non-Mn exposed mineworkers, and that concentrations might depend more on cumulative dose than recency of exposure.

Medical Subject Headings

Humans; Manganese; Adult; Male; Occupational Exposure; Middle Aged; Olfactory Bulb; Olfactory Pathways; Female; Mining; South Africa; Young Adult

Publication Date

5-1-2024

Publication Title

Neurotoxicology

ISSN

1872-9711

Volume

102

First Page

96

Last Page

105

PubMed ID

38582332

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.neuro.2024.04.001

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