Manganese linked to cancer deaths

By David Liu

A new study suggests groundwater manganese may increase total cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer death rates while airborne manganese may reduce total cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer death rates.

John Spangler, M.D. from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues conducted an ecological study using data from the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, North Carolina Geological Survey, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Census.

The researchers found airborne manganese was correlated at the county level with a 14 percent decrease in total cancer deaths, a 43 percent decrease in breast cancer deaths and a 22 percent decrease in lung cancer deaths. 

In comparison, manganese in groundwater was associated with a 28 percent increase in county-level colon cancer deaths and a 26 percent increase in lung cancer deaths at the county level.

Spangler said "The positive association between groundwater manganese and specific cancer mortality rates might be a function of the high concentrations measures, while the inverse relationship between air manganese and death rates might point toward adequate (e.g. healthy) county-level manganese exposures."