Manganese in the air: are children at greater risk than adults?

Whether or not children are at higher risk from exposure to air pollutants has become a central question in regulatory toxicology. In order to examine this issue for essential metals several questions related to toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics need to be addressed. These include (1) whether exposure patterns among infants and children are likely to result in disproportionately high exposures to substances in ambient air, and (2) whether infants display special susceptibilities in comparison to the general population. In addition, differences in how developing systems handle metals compared to adults, and interactions between specific metals and other substances with common mechanisms, need to be considered. This study examined the toxicodynamic differences between adults and infants exposed to manganese via inhalation and/or dietary routes of exposure.