ABSTRACT

Manganese, a metal of the group 7 in the periodic table of elements, is one of the most abundant trace elements in the lithosphere, and is the second, after Iron, metal in the Earth’s crust, at mean concentration of 0.085%. Manganese has been used as a fuel additive methylocyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl. Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent used for water treatments and several other purposes. Manganese contents in worldwide soils are highly diverse, and range approximately from 10 to 9000 mg/kg. Manganese compounds readily leach down from the upper soil layers under cold and humid climate. Manganese budgets in soils of various ecosystems indicate a predomination of leaching processes over atmospheric input. Manganese is an essential dietary mineral for mammals. Its biological function acts as both a constituent of metalloenzymes and an enzyme activator. Manganese overexposure, by both ingestion and inhalation, is most frequently associated with manganism, a rare neurological biphasic disorder.