Dr. Erin HaynesHow to Use This Page
The problem with Manganese poisoning has been understood for generations. The industries and corporations which use Manganese understand their potential liability and therefore have put millions into faux studies to evade accountability while continuing to intentionally put individuals employed by them, and the public in general, in danger.
This is done to externalize costs while holding on to profits for themselves.
This time line will provide a visible record of how this is accomplished. We do not include links to sites by attorneys soliciting cases.
TIME LINE
1837 - Source: Journal of Medical Case Reports Effects of Manganese poisoning first recognized
1932
Source: Mother Jones Article - "In a 1932 German paper,
industrial doctor Erich Beintker described two patients who welded
inside boilers and tanks. One complained of dizziness, ringing ears,
sudden sweats, and sleeplessness. The other had developed a speech
impediment and balance problems. "A nervous disorder appears to
be present here because of the manganese fumes," Beintker
concluded, urging welding companies to share information about the
compounds in their products."
1937 - Solurce: Mother Jones Article - In the United States" the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company distributed
a welding-safety booklet describing manganese as an "important
poison" that "causes a disease similar to paralysis
agitans"—Parkinson's. (The welding industry responded by
demanding MetLife rewrite the booklet to tamp down the "scare"
it had created; the insurer obliged.)"
1967 - Source: U.S. GOVERNMENT ARCHIVE - ANSI Z49.1-1967
1967 - Source: U.S. GOVERNMENT ARCHIVE - ANSI Z49.1-1967
Citing: By Nachman Brautbar,
M.D., "WELDING, MANGANESE AND PARKINSONISM," For Forensic
Toxicology, Forensic Medicine, Toxicology and Internal Medicine
Experts
Measure is cited again and again over subsequent years.
1975
August - Source: Western Journal of Medicine - Manganese Intoxication by Charles H. Hine, MD and Aurelio Pasi, MD
Measure is cited again and again over subsequent years.
1975
August - Source: Western Journal of Medicine - Manganese Intoxication by Charles H. Hine, MD and Aurelio Pasi, MD
ABSTRACT: "We have reported two cases of chronic manganese
poisoning. Case 1 followed exposure to manganese fumes in cutting and
burning manganese steel. Case 2 resulted from exposure to dusts of
manganese dioxide, an ingredient used in glazing of ceramics. There were
initial difficulties in establishing the correct diagnosis. Prominent
clinical features were severe and persistent chronic depressive
psychosis (Case 1), transient acute brain syndrome (Case 2) and the
presence of various extrapyramidal symptoms in both cases.
Manganese
intoxication has not previously been reported as occurring in
California. With increasing use of the metal, the disease should be
considered in the differential diagnosis of neurologic and psychiatric
disease.
Our observations were made in the
period 1964 through 1968. Recently the prognosis of victims of manganese
poisoning has been improved dramatically by the introduction of
levodopa as a therapeutic agent."
2003
Source: Mother Jones - Toxic Smoke and Mirrors - by Jim Morris
CASE: NO. 5-04-0120 IN THE APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FIFTH DISTRICT
Source: Mother Jones - Toxic Smoke and Mirrors - by Jim Morris
CASE: NO. 5-04-0120 IN THE APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FIFTH DISTRICT
LAWRENCE E. ELAM, v. LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY, HOBART
BROTHERS COMPANY, and AIRCO/THE BOC GROUP, INC. Illinois jury awarded
$1 million to a welder named Larry Elam
2005
May - Source: IRSST Management of Occupational Manganism - Consensus of an Experts' Panel) PDF
July 1 - Source: Medical News Today - Manganese inhaled from the shower - A public health threat? Maybe - "A new analysis based on animal studies suggests that showering in manganese-contaminated water for a decade or more could have permanent effects on the nervous system. The damage may occur even at levels of manganese considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
"If our results are confirmed, they could have profound implications for the nation and the world," said John Spangler, M.D., an associate professor of family medicine. "Nearly 9 million people in the United States are exposed to manganese levels that our study shows may cause toxic effects."
The study is the first to show the potential for permanent brain damage from breathing vaporized manganese during a shower. It was conducted by reviewing the medical literature and calculating, based on animal studies, the amount of manganese people would absorb by showering 10 minutes a day." MORE
Source: American Society of Safety Engineers
(Scroll down to Current litigation among welders)
In July 2005, a federal panel ruled that a large number of welding fume
lawsuits in the U.S. would be consolidated before U.S. District Judge
Kathleen McDonald O'Malley in Cleveland. The lawsuits allege that the
defendants knew of the health hazards associated with welding fumes and
failed to warn welders about them. O'Malley has allowed the plaintiffs
in these cases to testify that welding fume exposure indeed causes
Parkinson's disease, which will allow thousands of other welding fume
cases to proceed in state courts.
August - Charles Ruth III, an 41-year-old welder diagnosed with manganese-induced parkinsonism in 2000, three years after going to work at the Ingalls Shipyard in Mississippi settles for an undisclosed amount.
December 15 - Source: American Welding Society - Duke University Medical Center, Department of Community & Family Medicine, Division of Occupational & Environmental Medicine: Welding and Exposures to Manganese Assessment of Neurological Adverse Effects
2006
June - 9 Source: Science Now - New Hope for Manganese Toxicity by Greg Miller
" A chemical cousin of aspirin may help treat neurological problems caused by exposure to high levels of manganese metal, according to a dramatic case study in this month's Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. If the results hold up in larger trials, the drug could provide the first effective treatment for thousands of workers exposed to high levels of manganese through mining, steel production, and other occupations." MORE
August - Charles Ruth III, an 41-year-old welder diagnosed with manganese-induced parkinsonism in 2000, three years after going to work at the Ingalls Shipyard in Mississippi settles for an undisclosed amount.
December 15 - Source: American Welding Society - Duke University Medical Center, Department of Community & Family Medicine, Division of Occupational & Environmental Medicine: Welding and Exposures to Manganese Assessment of Neurological Adverse Effects
2006
June - 9 Source: Science Now - New Hope for Manganese Toxicity by Greg Miller
" A chemical cousin of aspirin may help treat neurological problems caused by exposure to high levels of manganese metal, according to a dramatic case study in this month's Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. If the results hold up in larger trials, the drug could provide the first effective treatment for thousands of workers exposed to high levels of manganese through mining, steel production, and other occupations." MORE
2007 - Source: EHS Today - Welder Awarded $20.5Million in Lawsuit
December 5 - Lincoln Electric Holdings
and four other companies were ordered to pay $20.5 million in a case
involving a welder sickened by fumes he inhaled on the job, marking
the first time a welder has won such a lawsuit since 2003. Jeff Tamraz case
2008
July-August
Source: Mother Jones - Toxic Smoke and Mirrors - by Jim Morris
"Overexposure to manganese has caused Parkinson's-like symptoms for thousands of welders. So why does the welding industry still get a free chemical pass? A Mother Jones investigation.
The shaking in Jeffrey Tamraz's right hand began in 2001. It was intermittent, so he paid it little mind. A six-foot, 260-pound bear of a man, he'd played football and thrown shot and discus in high school; later he got into competitive weightlifting, and worked up to bench-pressing 465 pounds—once, to win a bet, he flipped a Honda Civic on its side. He brought the same passion to his work. "I taught welding for six years," he says. "I read books on welding. I loved to weld." MORE
2009
February 2 - Source: Fire Earth Link Between Parkinson’s Disease Genes and Manganese Poisoning
2010
May 27 - The Star Beacon;
Ashtabula, Ohio Ashtabula
- Township mystery odor investigated OhioEPA called in to help identify smell, locate source
By CARL E.
FEATHER - cfeather@starbeacon.com
Star
Beacon
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP —
Personnel from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s
Twinsburg office were in the area Wednesday in response to reports of
a mysterious odor.
Kristopher Weiss, Ohio EPA spokesman, said the staff are from the EPA’s divisions of Clean Air and Water and Emergency Response Team. They are looking for the source of a “chemical-like” odor that has been reported throughout Ashtabula Township and the city.
Ashtabula Township Fire Chief Mike Fitchet said his department has received at least five complaints since May 12 regarding the odor, which has been compared to that of rancid butter or oils. He said safety forces in Ashtabula city also have had calls about the smell on the east side of town. MORE
Kristopher Weiss, Ohio EPA spokesman, said the staff are from the EPA’s divisions of Clean Air and Water and Emergency Response Team. They are looking for the source of a “chemical-like” odor that has been reported throughout Ashtabula Township and the city.
Ashtabula Township Fire Chief Mike Fitchet said his department has received at least five complaints since May 12 regarding the odor, which has been compared to that of rancid butter or oils. He said safety forces in Ashtabula city also have had calls about the smell on the east side of town. MORE
August 26 - Source: United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit - No. 09-60396 ROBERT E. JOWERS; DONNA A. JOWERS v. LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY; BOC GROUP; ESAB
GROUP, INC. Before BARKSDALE, GARZA, and DENNIS,
Circuit Judges.
"The BOC Group, Inc., the ESAB Group,
Inc. (“ESAB”), and the Lincoln Electric Company (“Lincoln”)
(collectively, the “Manufacturers”) appeal the jury verdict and
judgment in favor of Robert and Donna Jowers (collectively, “Jowers”)
on Jowers' failure-to-warn claim under Mississippi law.
Specifically, the Manufacturers argue the district court improperly
instructed the jury on their government contractor affirmative
defense; improperly admitted certain pieces of historical evidence
at trial; and erred in refusing to permit any apportionment of
fault to Robert Jowers' employer. Finally, the Manufacturers
argue the district court erred in denying their Fed.R.Civ.P. 50(b)
motion for judgment as a matter of law on punitive damages."
September 8 - Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - Federal appeals court overturns $20.5 million verdict against Lincoln Electric Holdings and other companies in welding rod lawsuit. Peter Krouse
September 21 - Source: Addendum to the ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Manganese
"The ATSDR revised its Minimum Risk Level for breathable manganese dust making it nearly 10 times more toxic than their profile done in 2008."
November 29 - Source: Perdue University News Service - NIH grant to help MRI scientist seek answers about manganese toxicity, Parkinson's disease
" WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - People exposed to manganese in occupational settings such as welding may not see signs for years that the element is toxic to their nervous systems, but new medical imaging techniques being developed and tested by a Purdue University professor could help reveal toxicity before symptoms appear that indicate irreversible brain damage.
Ulrike Dydak, an assistant professor of health sciences who specializes in medical imaging of neurodegenerative diseases, received more than $2 million through an Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which is part of the National Institutes of Health." MORE
2012
September - Source: The relationship between manganism and the workplace environment in China
28 - Source: Study on East Liverpool, surrounding area's children has alarming results
‘They were 30 times higher than the EPA reference concentration which was a big flag,’ said Erin Haynes, who is an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati. ‘The next step was to find out are the particles getting into the children’s bodies.’
Manganese is a normal element you need when you eat, but it’s also used in a number of industries including, steel and battery manufacturing. When those industries emit it into the air it can become toxic and scientists are finding out that it has an effect on the brain. ”
— Ryan Eldredge, WTOV
link to article
October 11 - Source: NanoSteele Company, Inc. - MATERIAL DATA SAFETY SHEET (PDF)
30 - Source: Ohio Citizens Action HuffPost Green - Wake Forest Water Contamination: Residents Furious After Learning State Knew Of Trichloroethylene Carcinogen (VIDEO)
" Officials at North Carolina's Department of Environment and Natural Resources knew drinking water near Wake Forest had been contaminated seven years ago. But they neglected to tell anyone.
That only changed this summer, when officials with the Environmental Protection Agency called residents in the Stony Hill Road area and informed them their water may contain Trichloroethylene (TCE), a highly carcinogenic chemical. As such, reports WNCN, officials told residents they shouldn't drink, cook, or even bathe in their water.
The situation outraged residents, who felt their health had taken a back seat to bureaucracy."
MORE
December
18 - Agencies to be consulted on polluted land issues
Star Beacon
CONNEAUT — Economic and environmental agencies will be consulted on the future of a chunk of downtown property contaminated by industrial chemicals, City Council members learned at a Monday committee meeting.
Meanwhile, an Annapolis, Md., yacht company assembling high-end racing vessels adjacent to the polluted parcel has submitted a proposal to buy the building it has been renting the past several months. The city holds liens on the property.
Earlier this year, city officials learned land that once held the Astatic Corp., has been fouled by chemicals. Cleaning up the site would cost more than $1 million and take two years to complete, officials learned months ago. MORE
2013
January 3 - UCLA Health & Medicine Newsroom - Pesticides and Parkinson’s: UCLA researchers uncover further proof of a link
Date: 01/03/2013 Contact: Mark Wheeler
For several years, neurologists at UCLA have been building a case
that a link exists between pesticides and Parkinson's disease. To date,
paraquat, maneb and ziram — common chemicals sprayed in California's
Central Valley and elsewhere — have been tied to increases in the disease, not only among farmworkers but in individuals who simply lived or worked near fields and likely inhaled drifting particles.
Now, UCLA researchers have discovered a link between Parkinson's
and another pesticide, benomyl, whose toxicological effects still linger
some 10 years after the chemical was banned by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Even more significantly, the research suggests that the damaging
series of events set in motion by benomyl may also occur in people with
Parkinson's disease who were never exposed to the pesticide, according
to Jeff Bronstein, senior author of the study and a professor of
neurology at UCLA, and his colleagues. MORE
During kiln firings the volatilization of metals and other materials can pose a threat if toxic levels are inhaled. As with all ceramic processes, these dangers can be avoided by the use of the proper safety equipment: always vent kilns to exhaust out of the studio and do not work around them unless equipped with correctly fitted masks with the appropriate filter.
In the late 1980's, many ceramic supply houses sold chemicals without warning labels, but I had been careful when working with them, especially with MnO2 (manganese dioxide) or related materials. I always wore gloves and a dust filter mask and worked mostly outdoors. However, I did not realize that even when firing in the open air the vapors escaping the kiln contained volatilized materials from my glazes, and a simple dust filter would not protect me. I blamed my violent nausea after each raku firing on carbon monoxide and tried to avoid inhaling any smoke.
Even though I was aware that manganese is considered a highly toxic material, it took me a long time to realize that my becoming ill might have anything to do with my raku pottery work. There were no sudden indications or changes. My health slowly got worse and worse, but I kept finding excuses. I told myself that I was still recovering from post-surgical complications of a spinal fusion and was also under great emotional stress: good enough reasons to feel miserable. It is impossible to be objective when one is in pain.
Manganese, a metal ore, is omnipresent on earth. It exists, in various concentrations, in rock, soil, on the ocean floor and, often because of pollution, in water and in the air. It is mined throughout the world, mostly for use in steel production, but it is found in such everyday things as the common dry-cell battery, fertilizers, fuel additives, welding rods, incandescent light bulbs, magnets, certain bronzes, etc. Its ores and the chemicals made from them are used as coloring agents for bricks, glass and ceramic products, as well as dyes, paints and varnishes. It is contained in fungicides and pharmaceuticals. Many minerals, including carbonates, oxides, silicates and borates contain manganese. It is also added to animal and poultry feeds.
Potters have found manganese useful not only as a glaze colorant (yielding hues ranging from brown to pink and purple) at all temperatures but as a body colorant and surface colorant, either as a key ingredient in a slip or used alone. Above 1090 C manganese is an active flux; applied by itself on top of a clay body it sinters, developing surfaces ranging from a slight luster to a bronze sheen. It has been a favorite of clay sculptors for years because a thin wash of manganese dioxide and water will color the clay body without destroying surface texture. In fact, if the wash has been applied to bisqueware, allowed to dry slightly then wiped repeatedly with a damp sponge, relief areas are accentuated. Contemporary "bronze" glazes, which no doubt have their origin in the work of the late Lucie Rie, rely on a relationship of manganese to copper with varying additions of other ingredients. For a more complete discussion of manganese and its applications to ceramics, readers may wish to refer to sources such as The Potter's Complete Dictionary of Materials and Techniques by Frank and Janet Hamer or The Illustrated Dictionary of Practical Pottery by Robert Fournier.
Manganese is an essential trace nutrient for microorganisms, plants and animals, including all mammals and birds. It is present in most foods, particularly in whole grains, cereals and some nuts such as pecans, Brazil nuts and almonds. It is abundant in black pepper, cloves, ground ginger, thyme, bay leaves and especially in tea leaves, whereas most meats, fish and dairy products contain smaller amounts. MORE
Manganese Toxicity by Elke Blodgett
During kiln firings the volatilization of metals and other materials can pose a threat if toxic levels are inhaled. As with all ceramic processes, these dangers can be avoided by the use of the proper safety equipment: always vent kilns to exhaust out of the studio and do not work around them unless equipped with correctly fitted masks with the appropriate filter.
In the late 1980's, many ceramic supply houses sold chemicals without warning labels, but I had been careful when working with them, especially with MnO2 (manganese dioxide) or related materials. I always wore gloves and a dust filter mask and worked mostly outdoors. However, I did not realize that even when firing in the open air the vapors escaping the kiln contained volatilized materials from my glazes, and a simple dust filter would not protect me. I blamed my violent nausea after each raku firing on carbon monoxide and tried to avoid inhaling any smoke.
Even though I was aware that manganese is considered a highly toxic material, it took me a long time to realize that my becoming ill might have anything to do with my raku pottery work. There were no sudden indications or changes. My health slowly got worse and worse, but I kept finding excuses. I told myself that I was still recovering from post-surgical complications of a spinal fusion and was also under great emotional stress: good enough reasons to feel miserable. It is impossible to be objective when one is in pain.
Manganese, a metal ore, is omnipresent on earth. It exists, in various concentrations, in rock, soil, on the ocean floor and, often because of pollution, in water and in the air. It is mined throughout the world, mostly for use in steel production, but it is found in such everyday things as the common dry-cell battery, fertilizers, fuel additives, welding rods, incandescent light bulbs, magnets, certain bronzes, etc. Its ores and the chemicals made from them are used as coloring agents for bricks, glass and ceramic products, as well as dyes, paints and varnishes. It is contained in fungicides and pharmaceuticals. Many minerals, including carbonates, oxides, silicates and borates contain manganese. It is also added to animal and poultry feeds.
Potters have found manganese useful not only as a glaze colorant (yielding hues ranging from brown to pink and purple) at all temperatures but as a body colorant and surface colorant, either as a key ingredient in a slip or used alone. Above 1090 C manganese is an active flux; applied by itself on top of a clay body it sinters, developing surfaces ranging from a slight luster to a bronze sheen. It has been a favorite of clay sculptors for years because a thin wash of manganese dioxide and water will color the clay body without destroying surface texture. In fact, if the wash has been applied to bisqueware, allowed to dry slightly then wiped repeatedly with a damp sponge, relief areas are accentuated. Contemporary "bronze" glazes, which no doubt have their origin in the work of the late Lucie Rie, rely on a relationship of manganese to copper with varying additions of other ingredients. For a more complete discussion of manganese and its applications to ceramics, readers may wish to refer to sources such as The Potter's Complete Dictionary of Materials and Techniques by Frank and Janet Hamer or The Illustrated Dictionary of Practical Pottery by Robert Fournier.
Manganese is an essential trace nutrient for microorganisms, plants and animals, including all mammals and birds. It is present in most foods, particularly in whole grains, cereals and some nuts such as pecans, Brazil nuts and almonds. It is abundant in black pepper, cloves, ground ginger, thyme, bay leaves and especially in tea leaves, whereas most meats, fish and dairy products contain smaller amounts. MORE
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