Manganese hair concentrations

Similar results have emerged from a study of 83 children aged 6-12 years and their mothers, in whom blood and hair manganese concentrations were measured [76 ]. Maternal and children s hair concentrations correlated and the children s hair concentrations were negatively related to total and verbal IQ. 

Methods were used to determine levels of chromium, lead, and cadmium in hair. Manganese concentrations in hair were evaluated for some, but not all, of the samples and tested one, but not both, new methods. However, it is assumed that both techniques will work for the trace element manganese. 

Drs. Filer and Muller, at the University of Iowa, treated an 8 year old girl with total parenteral nutrition for three two-month periods because of a poorly mobile gastrointestinal tract. Each period of treatment was separated by 5 months of oral alimentation. Following the last period of total intravenous nutrition, the same solution was administered via jejunostomy for an additional month. At that time, plasma and hair measurements were made. Table 5 shows that zinc and copper concentrations were significantly low in both plasma and hair. The chromium and manganese concentrations, however, remained in the normal range. 

The adult human body contains from 1.4-3.0g zinc, which is about a third to half the iron content, approximately 1-15 times the copper content and about 100 times the amont of manganese. Roughly half of the total zinc present is contained in muscles and about a third in the bones. High concentrations of zinc are found mainly in skin, hair, nails, eye, liver, kidney, spleen and male genital organs. In the cells of the liver, kidney and some other internal organs, zinc is bound in metallothionein. 

Nervous System Arsenic and manganese exposure is associated with neurodevelopment problems in children. Study reveals that a 50% increase of urine arsenic concentration and hair manganese levels may decrease the intelligence quotient (IQ) by 0.4 in children aged 5-15 years and by 0.7 in children aged 6-13years, respectively [48 ]. 

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