Serum manganese concentrations in a representative sample of the Canarian population

Serum manganese (Mn) concentrations of 368 individuals 6-75 yr of age (179 males and 189 females) living in the Canary Islands were determined by grap hite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The mean manganese concentrati on was 1.06 +/- 0.62 mug/L, ranging between 0.19 and 3.33 mug/L. Most of th e analyzed samples (63.3% of the samples) fall within the reference interva l (0.54-1.76 mug/L) for apparently healthy people. Individuals from Fuertev entura presented with mean Mn concentrations significantly higher than indi viduals from the rest of the islands. This could be attributed to differenc es in the Mn content of soil and/or differences in dietary habits of the po pulation. Serum Mn concentration did not vary with gender, and individuals younger than 18 yr old had the highest mean Mn concentration, compared to t he rest of the age groups considered. No relation to socioeconomic status, educational level, and tobacco or alcohol consumption was found. However, t he serum Mn concentration tended to decrease when increasing the consumptio n of wine or beer. Sportsmen presented significantly higher serum Mn concen trations than the rest.