Manganese in lung tissue: Study of Mexico City residents' autopsy records from the 1960s and 1990s

During the conduct of autopsies performed on residents of Mexico City durin g the 1960s (20 males, 19 females) and 1990s (30 males and 18 females), con centrations of manganese in lung were studied with atomic absorption spectr ometry. Concentrations of manganese were not significantly greater in the s amples obtained in the 1990s (1.87 +/- 0.8 mug/gm [mean +/- standard deviat ion]) than in samples from the 1960s (1.72 +/- 1.2 mug/gm). Concentrations were not correlated with gender, smoking habit, age, or cause of death; how ever, there was a correlation with occupation. The findings suggest that ma nganese exposure via air does not represent a health hazard to residents of Mexico City, given that lung concentrations of manganese remained stable d uring the 30-y period studied. Investigators should monitor concentrations of manganese in suspended particles to follow-up on these findings.